Voyage of Destiny, Book II: Borgian Complications
by Gypsy Druid
Summary: The Voyage begins in earnest, with Kathryn and the Exiles working on completing their bonds. Along the way, they discover just how complicated things can get when the Borg are involved, in both Love and War.
1. Chapter One

Voyage of Destiny, Book 2

Borgian Complications

By: GypsyDruid & IceFlame55

Disclaimers:

See Book 1, New Life, Old Life

Summary: The Voyage begins in earnest, with Kathryn and the Exiles working on completing their bonds. Along the way, they discover just how complicated things can get when the Borg are involved, in both Love and War.

Chapter One

_Buffy to Captain Janeway, do you have a moment?_

Captain Kathryn Janeway smiled as she tapped her communicator. Alone at the moment, she decided to drop the formalities, which her mates, Buffy, Willow and especially Faith, had thankfully been adhering to when she was on duty. "Hello, my love, what did you need."

_I was wondering if you would come down to the holodeck on deck 17. It's time we got you officially introduced to everyone, and there are some matters that we need to discuss._

"That's fine. I'll be down in a few minutes. Janeway out."

Kathryn set aside the reports that she was looking over. It have been three months since they encountered the green nebula outside of Borg space, and added the S'Terrans to their little family of wanderers. Three months since her consciousness as the future Admiral had been sent back in time to become Captain of her beloved crew and ship once more after helping Buffy & her friends in another dimension, where they had been known as Slayers, to defeat the single most dangerous entity in all of creation in _any_ dimension. Since that time, her ship had been completely repaired, fully powered and drastically altered to protect them more 'efficiently' as her Borg would say, which had resulted in Voyager's 'awakening'. Now, besides the lives of the people that she had stranded out here in the Delta Quadrant five years ago, she also had an honest-to-goodness 'living ship' to worry about as well. Her crew had been completely healed of any illness, dormant, hereditary or otherwise. Further testing had also revealed that their genetic code had been significantly strengthened, making them less likely to succumb to illness or drugs.

A smile curled her lips. She had also become mated to the the leaders of the S'Terrans. Buffy, regarded as the Prime, because she was the strongest. Her experiences, both good and bad, had caused her to evolve beyond what she normally would have, surpassing even Faith, the next in line and the last of the naturally 'chosen' Slayers. After Buffy and Faith came Willow, not a Slayer herself, but she had been the strongest witch in their world. Being mated to Buffy didn't surprise her as much as she thought it should considering the intensity of their previous relationship, but they had ended up with Faith and Willow when they tried to help rein in Buffy's erratic instincts to claim her before she was ready. Even now, Kathryn could feel the need burning in a low simmer just beneath her skin, ready to flare up at any, usually inconvenient, moment. Setting her workstation to stand-by, she exited her ready room and headed for the turbolift, nodding to Chakotay that he still had the bridge.

"Deck 17." She said when the turbolift doors slid shut. She sighed, thinking about her First Officer. He had become increasingly testy after her relationship to the S'Terrans had been revealed. He had also development an irritating habit of showing up when and where he wasn't wanted. He had foolishly attempted to assert his authority over Buffy, and she had informed him in no uncertain terms that she didn't take orders from him, and if he wanted something, he'd better learn to ask nicely. When he attempted it on Faith, she'd been about two seconds from putting him through a wall before Kathryn had shown up, alerted by the anger building in the younger woman's mind. She had told Chakotay, and the rest of the senior staff, repeatedly, that she would handle the S'Terrans, but he seemed determined to press his luck, and his excuses were quickly wearing thin.

When she stepped onto Deck 17, the first thing that she noticed was that the doors of all the crew quarters were open. Glancing in as she passed, she noticed that several of them no longer looked like crew quarters. She suspected that there were holoemitters, but couldn't imagine where were they getting the power, since there was no registered power drain. She made her way down the corridor to the holodeck, and the doors slid aside to reveal, to her surprise, an ancient styled training camp. There was a sparring circle and a stand for various types of weapons, as well as a blacksmith's hut off to the side. Tuvok and Ro Laren were standing off to the side, watching the girls spar. The smile that lit Buffy's face when she entered warmed Kathryn's heart as she made her way over to the Prime. A sharp whistle from someone ended the sparring match and everyone gathered around.

"All right, everybody, quiet down." Buffy said, settling the group. "I know its been a crazy few months, but we've all gotten settled in, and it's time to introduce you nuts to my mate." She paused, glancing over at Willow and Faith. "_Our_ mate."

Kissing Kathryn quickly, she spoke once again. "Since she likes to know who's on her ship, I thought that now would be a good time to make introductions. A few of you remember her from Sunnydale, and the fight against The First." There were several nods. "The rest were probably told stories about her, and some of the fighting techniques that you learned at The Academy, we learned from her. Boys and girls... and Faith," she sidestepped the punch thrown at her. "this is Kathryn Janeway, Captain of this Vessel and my _N'mina_."

Kathryn's brow rose at the almost awed looks she was getting, and wonder exactly what kinds of stories they'd been told.

"Line up, people, and come forward one at a time." Buffy ordered. As each person came forth, Buffy told Kathryn their name, age and the stage of training that they had completed. When Kathryn had first approached them with the idea of using them as foot soldiers, they had thought that it was perfect. Buffy and Faith had immediately met with Tuvok and Laren to discuss possibilities and ideas. The former Slayers had no knowledge of modern weapons of their time, much less the more advanced weapons of this one, but their affinity for weaponry assured that they would learn quickly. Buffy and Faith, the last of the naturally Chosen, could simply pick up a weapon and figure it out after a few uses. Within half a dozen shots, they were pinpoint accurate with both hand phaser and phaser rifles. The others, the ones old enough to use weapons, took a little longer to master, but not nearly as long as the average person.

In the course of the introductions, Kathryn discovered that the majority of the group were still in their mid to late teens. Although she knew that they had seen their share of 'action', Kathryn had no intention of putting them into battle unless absolutely necessary. The way things happened in the Delta Quadrant, they'd get enough chances to fight during the times when Voyager gets blindsided and boarded, which has happened way too many times for her comfort. There were three males, former witches. One of the young men, Ian, had also been a weapons forger, as well as witch, in his former life. _Well, that explains the blacksmith hut,_ Kathryn mused. Michael had been a type of warrior witch, Buffy informed. He'd been using his magic to 'fight the good fight' in a unit much like her former boyfriend's (Riley), before going AWOL when he'd found out about the plans to eliminate the Slayers. His younger sister, Siobhán, had activated the year before, and he hadn't been willing to take any chances with her life. He'd smuggled her out of Ireland and into the Slayer Academy, known to the rest of the world as the Janeway Institute for Alternative Education. His mate, Erin, on the other hand, was his opposite, which struck Kathryn as odd considering she was a Slayer as well as a witch. A child of missionaries, she didn't condone violence, so it had been her job to watch over the younger ones. Those who had activated in their pre-teens because of early puberty, and needed a gentle touch to guide them through the drastic changes in their bodies and minds. Finally, Buffy introduced the two youngest of the group.

"This is Siobhán, Mike's sister." The little Irish lass had dark, wavy hair and big crystal blue eyes that sparkled with happiness. "She's one of the few that activated early. She's only twelve. Better watch her, though, cause it looks like she's gonna be as smart as Willow." Finally, she took the hand of a young girl of about eight who was half-hiding behind Erin. "This little munchkin is Marisol. She had been marked as a Potential, but since we were all changed when we were brought here, those dormant genes were activated. Her mother was a Senator, who warned us about the plan to eliminate the Supernatural world, including the Slayers. When I told her that we already knew and were making plans, she begged us to take Mari, to protect her while she tried to reverse the decision."

Kathryn looked at the shy little girl thoughtfully for a moment before tapping her communicator. "Janeway to Ensign Wildman."

"Wildman here." Samantha Wildman answered. "Yes, Captain?"

"Ensign, I was wondering if you could bring Naomi down to Deck 17 for a few minutes." Janeway said. "There's someone here I think she'd be interested in meeting."

There was a small pause. It was well know that the new crewmembers Janeway had 'rescued' had taken up living quarters on Deck 17.

"I assure you, Ensign, she'll be perfectly safe. You may come with her if you like."

"Of course, Captain. We'll be right down."

Janeway looked at the others. "Naomi is the ship's only child. Like B'Elanna, she's a human/alien hybrid, with a human mother and a Ktarian father. Although she's only three years old, she looks, speaks and thinks almost like a six year old. I think she'd appreciate having friends her own age."

They went through the rest of the meeting, and the introduction of the Wildman's to the group, who took an instant liking to the little girl, especially Buffy and Mari. Going down on one need beside next to Mari, she studied Naomi for a moment, then smiled. "I used to have a friend who had body spikes. They went from his neck down to his shoulders, so he could never wear a shirt."

Naomi eyes widened. "Wow, really?"

"Yep. He had a really long name that I could never pronounce, so I just called him Argo." Turning to Mari, she spoke to the girl in S'Terran. "Mari, this is Naomi. Would you like to be her friend?"

The child looked from Buffy to Naomi, then shyly asked in English. "Can I touch your pointy bumps?"

Naomi looked up at her mother, who nodded and smiled. "Okay, but you have to be careful, cause they're sharp and they can cut you."

Samantha backed up to stand next to her captain as they watched the interaction. These people were endearing in a way. She had been in the Science lab when the illusion of the blonde kneeling before her daughter appeared fighting off a misshapen 'creature', a monster, as a group on young girls watched. She had used what looked like steel wire to decapitate the monster, turning it to dust at her feet. It had been the most savage fight she'd ever seen, which, she freely admitted, wasn't saying much since she was a scientist, not a soldier. To see that same woman kneel down to the same level as Naomi, and speak to her and the other child with such gentleness was not something she had expected. After a few moments, the blonde rose and backed away, leaving the two children speaking with each other.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wildman." Buffy said. "Mari could really use a friend. We will protect her as if she were one of our own."

After a little while, Samantha decided to leave Naomi with her new friend and, after Buffy assured her that she would bring Naomi home personally, she returned to her duties. Buffy and Faith started putting the older girls through their paces as Kathryn left with Willow.

"Where are we going?" Kathryn asked as they walked to a secluded hut.

"Seven's been helping me with a project." Willow said. "I'm sure that you noticed the holographic projections in some of the rooms as you passed." Kathryn nodded. "I've been working with the idea of using kinetic energy to help power some of the more energy-consuming systems, like the holodeck and the replicators."

"Kinetic energy?" Kathryn mused. "Energy created by movement?"

Willow nodded. "There's always someone moving on this ship, and I figured, what if we could harness that energy and put it to use. The theorists in the NSA had some pretty interesting ideas, oddly enough. Seven helped me download my files from my handheld computer into a database."

"All right. Explain the experiment to me."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"What do you think, Tuvok?" Kathryn asked as they left the holodeck to go back to the bridge.

"I believe that you have done a very admirable job integrating the S'Terrans into this crew." Tuvok complimented. "Giving them different, small jobs in the various departments has given them the opportunities to find their 'niche', and do the things that they feel comfortable with. Buffy and Faith are ideal for Security, as well as the specialized squads that have been created."

Over the last two months, Kathryn had been implementing her plans, especially the ones for the Marine-type squads. Instead of putting Tuvok in charge, as she normally would have, Kathryn instead decided to make Buffy the leader of the Alpha Squad and Faith the leader of the Beta squad. Buffy's squad also doubled as an Advanced Away team, and consisted of Ro Laren, B'Elanna Torres, Seven of Nine and a Corvellan Ensign name Raktoth. Raktoth had been picked by Buffy, who had sensed something about the young alien. That intuition had proved true during the training simulations, as the Ensign showed impressive improvisation to get out of situations where he was trapped and cut off from his compatriots, or it was left to him to find a way to come to the aid of the others. Each team member had been tested under similar situations, and by far, he had thought up the most unusual ideas that always seemed to work, either perfectly, or enough to give the others a fighting chance. As one of a race of mercenaries, he was able to work as a bridge between the gap of such divergent personalities. Faith's team was more eclectic. Immediately choosing Willow and Michael for science and tactical, she gave Willow free reign to choose the remaining two members. Willow had skipped over most of the engineers in alpha or beta shift and chosen a Catullen Ensign named Timal, and an unjoined Trill named Jakea, a former Marquis member recommended to her by Tuvok as being level-headed and accomplished in several martial arts skills.

"I agree." Kathryn nodded. "Willow is also doing very well with her theoretical research. Between the idea for kinetic energy and dimensional pockets, not to mention the database of the work from the Theoretical Propulsion Group, she's quite happy to spend her days trying to make obscure theories work. These three plus boredom does not equal to anything good." Kathryn paused for a moment. "Now that the S'Terrans have found the departments that they like best, I want to start training them. Academy level, but hands on instead of book work. Their metabolisms do not give them the patience to sit still for long periods of time. Buffy told me that, although she loved attending her college classes, it took everything she had to remain focused and in her seat. Practical application will be the best way to go."

_Bridge to Captain Janeway._

Kathryn tapped her communicator. "Janeway here."

_We're picking up a distress signal._ Chakotay reported. _It's coming from a planet two lightyears away. Captain, we're also reading Borg transwarp signatures._


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Yellow alert." Kathryn ordered. "I'm on my way."

Hurrying down to the turbolift, knowing without looking that Tuvok was right behind her. She snapped 'Bridge' as the door closed, her mind already on the possible situation that she was about to take her ship and crew into. Although she absolutely hated dealing with the Borg, especially since she'd just recently snatched Seven of Nine and escaped them once again, her Starfleet ethics couldn't stand to let a distress call go unanswered.

"Report." She stepped off the turbolift and headed directly for her command chair.

"We picked up the distress signal a few minutes ago." Chakotay said. "It's faint, and we were just able to pinpoint it."

"The Borg?"

"The transwarp signature indicates that the vessel is gone." Harry Kim answered.

"Start immediate scans once we're in the vicinity." Kathryn commanded. "I'll be in my ready room. Keep me informed."

Chakotay nodded curtly and turned his attention to his console. Rolling her eyes since no one could see her, she went to her ready room and ordered a coffee. Chakotay was irritating her more and more. Putting him from her mind, she hailed Buffy.

_Yes, Captain?_

"Get your team together and prepare for your first mission." Kathryn told her. "After that, please come to my ready room."

_You got it._

A half an hour later, Buffy strode into her ready room, dressed in her skin tight dark red leather pants, a fitted black t-shirt and her overcoat. The sight made her breath catch and her eyes narrow in sudden acute lust. Buffy smirked at her and purred as she caught the scent of Kathryn's arousal, but stayed on the other side of the desk and sat down in the opposite seat. "You wanted to see me, _N'mina._"

"Umm, yes." Kathryn cleared her throat. "We've picked up a distress signal. It seems that someone has been attacked by the Borg and there are survivors. I'm going to send Chakotay and a small away team to investigate, but I want your team to go as security. You handle the protection, Chakotay will focus on getting the examination and aid done."

She saw the slight hardening in Buffy's eyes at Chakotay's name. "Buffy, I know that he's not exactly your best friends right now, but he is my First Officer. You're going to have to put your differences aside and work together with this."

"Oh, we'll work together just fine." Buffy assured her. "If I could work with Travers, I can work with anyone."

Kathryn nodded. "I know that you've never come across anything like the Borg before, but your stories of ADAM make me think that the two could be similar in strength and capabilities. Their multi-phasic shielding will make our phasers useless after the first few shots, but I'm hoping that your swords will get through with little trouble. How has the training been coming along?"

"Seven didn't need much training. She's already got most of the studies down from different assimilations. She just needed the combat experience. She also has the added advantage of steel claws in her Borg hand. Laren took to it like she was born for it. She's good with a longsword, but works better with two short swords and she's even better at knife fighting." Buffy paused for a moment, thinking. "B'Elanna's not as good with a bat'leth as you are, which isn't all that surprising since you told me she didn't really like her Klingon too much, but she's picking it up fast. Until she gets to the level I want her at, she's using a long-bladed battleaxe. She's got the inherent strength to do real damage with it, and she's small and nimble enough to move it quickly. Raktoth is good throwing knives and crossbow. He's got the eye coordination for it and fights better at long range. He's also good with a longbow."

"Good." Kathryn sat back in her chair. "What about Faith's team?"

"I think her team ranks about the same, but I know that none of the use a bat'leth like B'Elanna does. Instead, she's got Timal using throwing spears. We cross-train them a lot, and spar with each, but I don't know who specializes with what in her team."

"When you go back, I want you to tell Faith to have her team prepared. The Borg don't make a habit of doubling back on an attack site, but we can't be too careful. I want to be ready in case we have unexpected visitors."

Buffy nodded. Business finished for the moment, Kathryn couldn't restrain herself any longer, and moved around her desk to straddle Buffy's lap. Cupping the globes of Buffy's breasts, encased lovingly in the tight t-shirt, she smiled down at her mate. "Do you know how delicious you look, beloved?"

Buffy's smile made her eyes sparkle as her hands settled on Kathryn's thighs and she began to purr. "I know that you like me in these pants."

In the last few months, Kathryn had also changed. Mating with Buffy and the others had forced her into a level of interaction with her crew that she never would have contemplated before, simply because Buffy, Faith and Willow refused to allow her to remain isolated. Whenever Kathryn was 'officially' off duty, they dragged her to eat in the Mess hall, dressed in casual clothes, and pulled her along when the Sandrines program was active. She discovered that, despite what she had always believed, familiarity with her crew did not affect her leadership in the least. In fact, it seemed to have grown stronger. Buffy told her that it was because she showed that she cared for them, which was a lot more tangible that just a belief. That, and the knowledge of what was awaiting them in the Alpha Quadrant, allowed Kathryn to relax her strict dependence on Starfleet protocols, and allowed her a sense of contentment that she'd never had before.

Standing, supporting Kathryn's weight with ease as the captain wrapped her legs around her waist, Buffy walked them over to the couch and laid them down so that Kathryn was beneath her. Her blood with pounding from the need flaring through them, and the possibility of an upcoming fight. She kissed her mate hard, devouring her mouth, pulling Kathryn firmly against her stomach muscles until she was whimpering in need.

_Bridge to Captain Janeway._

She considered ignoring the hail. Ohh, did she consider it, but finally she broke the kiss and responded. "Janeway here."

_Captain, we've got visual of a debris field of an unknown ship and pieces of a Borg sphere._ Chakotay reported. _Whoever the Borg attacked put up one hell of a fight. It looks like both ships crashed on the planet below them._

"I'll be right out." Her head dropped back onto the couch as she tried to get control of her body. She closed her eyes against the visibly hard nipples tempting her though the t-shirt, as well as the need glowing in Buffy's amber eyes. "That was cruel, Liz."

"That wasn't cruel." Buffy's eyes glinted mischievously. "Cruel would be for me to wait until you're on the bridge, and then..." she leaned down to whisper in her mate's ear. Kathryn's eyes widened and she whimpered, her need spiking at the images Buffy's words conjured. Finally, she pushed the Prime away and jumped to her feet.

"Get out of here, Buffy." She growled, on the verge of tossing her responsibilities to the wind and taking her mate anyway. "Now."

Grinning, Buffy left her to get herself back together. Running her fingers through her mussed hair, she smoothed both her hair and her uniform before stepping out of ready room. "Report."

"We don't know what kind of ship it was, but from the debris field, it was a pretty brutal fight." Chakotay said, looking at the viewscreen.

"Are we in range to scan the planet's surface?" She asked, making her way to her chair. A quick glance told her that Buffy had left the bridge.

"Yes, ma'am." Harry answered. "It's a little hotter than we're used to. Mostly desert-like, but the atmosphere is breathable."

"What about the ships?"

"I can't get a good scan on them yet." Harry answered apologetically.

"How long until we arrive?"

"Another half an hour at this speed." Chakotay answered. "How do you want to do this?"

"Let's discuss this in my ready room, shall we?" Kathryn suggested, rising from her seat. He followed her into the room and accepted when she offered him a seat and refreshment. "I'm sending you down with Buffy's team as security. I've already spoken to her, and now I'm telling you. I don't know what your problems with the S'Terrans is, and I don't care. You will work together down there and, even though you are the ranking officer, that is Buffy's team. The concept is the same if it was Tuvok leading it. You can give suggestions and directions, but when it comes to security in this instance, she doesn't take orders from you, is that clear?" Chakotay nodded stiffly. "And Chakotay, don't try to subvert her team. They have learned to rely on one another, and I won't have you undermine that."

"I understand, Captain." Chakotay said, the tattoo over his eye twitching.

Kathryn could almost hear his teeth grinding together. Her brow rose. "Just out of curiosity, Commander, what exactly is your problem?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Captain." He said.

"Oh, don't give me that." Kathryn snapped, rolling her eyes. "First Seven, now the S'Terrans. Everyone that I've bought aboard his ship in an attempt to help them, you've spoken out against. I would have thought that you, as a former Marquis, would be more open-minded to helping those that desperately needed it."

"Seven was a BORG when you brought her on board this ship!" Chakotay thundered. "She was a drone and a threat to everyone here. We should have let those bugs annihilate them before we drove them driving them back into fluidic space. But no! You put us all at risk of being killed, or worse assimilated, by collaborating with the Borg instead of using your God-given common sense and going around their space."

He jumped from his seat and began pacing furiously. "Now, we've got these refugees from another 'dimension', guarded by a 'supposed' enemy to every living being, and suddenly you become involved in a relationship with not one, but three of them, and don't even question it. Suddenly, you don't give a damn about your vaunted rules against fraternization or becoming involved with the crew."

Kathryn sat back in her chair and watched him. "And have they posed a threat to this crew?"

"Oh for God's sake, Kathryn, they've got you all snowed. Before we entered that nebula, at Seven of Nine's suggestion, I might add, you would never consider doing any of the things that you're doing."

"Such as being happy?"

"Such as fucking women!" He snarled. Then, realizing he was going too far, he turned his back on her and panted harshly, trying to get himself under control. He didn't see her go stiff, or her eyes turn slate gray and icy. He did, however, hear the cup as it shattered in her grip as she fought to control her fury. He spun around to see the hot, dark beverage dripping off of her hand onto her workstation, as well as steady droplets of blood.

"Kathryn..." He began, but before he could get any further, he spun around at the unexpected sound of the doors sliding open, revealing three extremely pissed off S'Terrans.

Buffy looked from Chakotay to Kathryn then back at Chakotay. She could feel the heated anger in her mate's mind and it triggered her agressive instincts towards the only viable source. Focusing on the First Officer, her teeth bared in a snarl and subsonic growls vibrated through the room. Chakotay swallowed convulsively and took a step back, but his fear only made the feral reactions worse. Buffy was about to take a step forward when Kathryn spoke.

"Hold."

One word. That was all it took to halt the Prime in her path.

"Tell me, Commander, is this jealousy or bigotry?" She asked, rising to get a towel and wipe away the blood. Vaguely, she noticed that the superficial cuts were already nearly healed, although there was a shard of glass still stuck in her hand. "Is it that my partner, or should I say partners, are female, or is it that I have a partner that isn't you?"

Snarling, Buffy moved around him to look at her mate's hand. Carefully removing the glass, she wet the towel to wipe away the fresh blood. Finally, Kathryn asked the most important question. "Will you be able to continue with your duties, because my relationship is not going to go away? Tell me now, Commander."

Chakotay lowered his eyes against the fierce glares aimed at him. "I can work."

He hurried out before she made him answer the other questions. He had no clear answers to give her. He had been taught that such relationships were abnormal and wrong, but in truth, he'd never had a problem with same-sex or polygamous relationships. He'd been friendly with several of B'Elanna's lady friends, in fact, even Nelev Kor, whom they'd later learned was Lt. Ro Laren of the Starship Enterprise. In his heart of hearts, he knew that it was because it was Kathryn Janeway, the woman that _he_ wanted.

After their rescue from New Earth, he had been content to wait until they reached the Alpha Quadrant and she was no longer his captain, to continue his pursuit of her. His first clue that she was possibly not as straight as everyone believed were the discreet looks he'd seen directed at the Chief Engineer when no one was watching. Then, Seven of Nine had come along and, damn it, he could practically see the bond between them.

Through it all, however, had been the assured knowledge that her 'command regulations' frowned on her having an intimate relationship with a member of her crew. That was what he drew on as he waited patiently for the end of their journey. Now, these interlopers arrive and suddenly, those regulations no longer matter! Kathryn has an epiphany regarding her personal life and, not only does she choose a _woman_ over him, she goes out and collects a _damn harem_! His rage and jealousy burned inside of him. It made him want to lash out at the ones who had the gall to take the woman that he had claimed first. He might be a spiritual man, but damn it, he was still a man. He snarled to himself. Men were dominant to women, he remembered his uncle drilling into him when he was a boy, and they had been since the beginning of time.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"You tell me to work with him, then make me pissed at him." Buffy chided as she stroked the healing cuts. "This makes sense exactly how?"

"That wasn't my intention, I assure you." She smiled apologetically. "Although I suppose working with him on this mission is out of the question for now, hmm."

"You suppose right." Buffy said bluntly. "The minute he snaps at me, he'll be sucking vaccuum."

Kathryn sighed. "I just wanted to know what was making him act so out of character."

"Besides being a chauvinistic asshole?" Faith said grimly. "He wants you, KJ. He wants you in a real bad way."

"What's the deal there, anyway?" Willow asked, sitting on the couch.

"Shortly into our second year here, Chakotay and I were infected with a virus. At first, we were sure it was incurable, and the atmosphere of the planet we were on halted the progression of the virus, so we were resigned to remaining on the planet. Just the two of us, alone."

"What happened?" Willow asked, wide-eyed.

"Tuvok disregarded my orders and contacted the Viidians, who _did_ have a serum for the virus."

"So Chuckles has been bidin' his time, huh?" Faith said, then noticed the look that Kathryn was giving her. "What?"

"Chuckles?" Kathryn grinned. "That's what Q calls him, as well."

"Well, at least the dork's got a sense of humor, then." Faith smirked.

"What are you going to do about the mission?" Buffy asked.

"Since Chakotay is out of the question now, I guess I'll be going instead."

Buffy's smile turned sultry. "Mmm, I'm thinking black leather." She suggested as her hands moved down to grip her ass.

"I don't think so, my love." Kathryn laughed lightly. "I have to wear my uniform."

"Well, that sucks." Buffy pouted. "Can you at least wear the coat we had made for you?"

"Coat?"

"Sure. We had one with 'pockets' made for you when we found out that we were rejoining you." Willow jumped up. "It's in our quarters. I'll go get it for you."

She was gone before anyone could say anything. Faith smirked and dropped onto the couch. Buffy, however, took the opportunity to pull her First Mate close and kiss her, slow and deep. Faith got turned on just watching them. The scent of their arousal filled the room, and Buffy breathed it in deep. In a swift move, Buffy spun them both around so that they were both facing the youngest of the foursome. She licked a path up Kathryn's neck as she cupped the captain's full breasts.

"Buffy...Oh!" Kathryn tried to protest, but gasped when her sensitive nipples were pinched firmly. Her back bowed as her hands came up to grip the Prime's wrists. "I'm still on duty."

"I've got all this pent up energy, baby." Buffy whispered in her ear. "I have to do something with it if you want me to concentrate on the mission."

Kathryn whimpered, and Faith moaned in response.

"Goddess, Kathryn, you look so hot like this." Buffy murmured, looking down over her shoulder. "You remember where we were earlier?"

"Yes." Kathryn groaned as Buffy increased the pressure on her nipples. Her head fell back against the younger woman's shoulder. "Liz, honey, please."

"Hmmm." Buffy hummed in pleasure. She released one nipple to grip her chin to turn her into a hard kiss.

"Oh, fuck me." Faith watch wide-eyed. It still amazed her how absolutely down-right raunchy Buffy could get when she wanted to.

'_Only if you beg really nicely.'_ Buffy's voice purred in her head.

The heat between them was intense. Before Faith could stop herself, her hand drifted beneath her waistband to touch herself, desperate to relieve the sudden throbbing between her legs.

"Look at Faith, _N'mina_." Buffy turned her face back to the other S'Terran. Pulling the tunic out of her waistband, Buffy inched her hand to connect with the soft, smooth skin of her stomach, teasing the skin above the waistband. "Do you want me to touch you, or would you rather go back to your duty?"

"Touch me." Kathryn whimpered, her eyes glued to the movement of Faith's hand. "Please touch me."

Fingers pushed below the waistband to tease hidden curls. "What about your _duty_?"

"Do it fast." The captain ground out through clenched teeth.

"But I like to take my time." Buffy said before sucking briefly on the sensitive skin beneath her ear. "What will you give me if I do you fast?"

_Bridge to Captain Janeway. We're in range for surface scans._

Kathryn's eyes snapped open as a purely human growl rumbled from her chest. _Someone's gonna die._


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

It was a few minutes before Kathryn trusted herself enough to answer. "Scan both vessels. I'll be out in a moment."

"You, stop. Now." She ordered to Faith. The brunette instantly froze. Kathryn turned to Buffy and leaned in close. Her eyes were narrowed in frustration and anger. "You, my beloved, are in real trouble."

"I'm looking forward to it." Buffy tongue flicked out to lick her lips impudently, but she backed away. "I guess you should probably get back to work. C'mon, Faith. I'm sure Willow and I can take care of you. We'll even do it... _fast_."

"Buffy..." Kathryn's voice had real warning in it this time, but Buffy was feeling wild and reckless, so she merely smirked at her mate.

"Voyager, two to beam directly to Willow's location."

"**Captain?"**

"Do it." The S'Terrans vanished is sparkling blue light. "That girl's gonna be the death of me."

Quickly making herself presentable, she entered the bridge, taking her command chair and making sure that her mental shields were firmly in place. The last thing she needed was to be overcome with the backlash of her mates' pleasure while on the bridge. "Report."

"Both ships was badly damaged." Chakotay responded. Out of the corner of her eye, Kathryn saw Tuvok glance at him at his almost caustic tone. "The unknown vessel is sticking out of the side of the Borg sphere. It looks like they either rammed the sphere, or they lost control of their ship and plowed into them, forcing the crash onto the planet. There's significant hull damage and quite a few breaches, but the away team should be fine since the planet's atmosphere is breathable."

"That's good." She glanced over at Tuvok for a moment before focusing on Chakotay. "I'll be taking Buffy's team down to investigate. This will give them some field time and an opportunity to see how well they work together in a real situation. I want continuous scans. The last thing that we need is for another Borg ship to show up to collect their lost sheep. Tuvok?"

The Security Chief met her at the turbolift. "Deck 17."

"Captain, do you think it wise to go on this away mission yourself?"

"I originally planned to send Chakotay." Kathryn admitted. "Unfortunately, there were words said, and Buffy's a bit pissed at him. I don't trust her temper right now, and the last thing we need is for her to smear him all over the planet. I wouldn't be able to let it go without punishment, but at the same time, it's a known fact that the S'Terrans operate under their own rules in most situations."

"I understand." Tuvok nodded. "These 'words', do they have anything to do with the recent antagonistic attitude that the Commander has taken in regards to your relationship?"

Kathryn's lip curled a little sardonically. She should have known he'd figure it out with little trouble. "Unfortunately, it does. He says that he can work regardless of it, but keep an eye on him anyway. Not only is my relationship with my mates _not_ going away, but it's going to get infinitely more complicated. We're already feeling the pull towards other mates, and it's only a matter of time before we start making our intentions known to them."

"How has T'Pel settled in?" Kathryn asked, changing the subject.

Tuvok brow rose. "She has 'settled in' with little difficulty. Her duty as councilor has kept her adequately busy."

"Is she all right with the position?" Kathryn asked. With the crew out here on their own, she didn't want anyone in a position that they didn't want to be in. She'd asked T'Pel to fill that needed position, because the Vulcan was astonishingly easy to talk to. She, like her husband, did not make a habit of enforcing their logic on others, but rather, they listened to all, then made 'logical' deductions. In Kathryn's mind, that made her ideal for a councilor, but she'd find something else for her friend's mate if she was unhappy, or whatever the Vulcan equivalent of such an emotion was.

"She has found the position suitable since she has done such work in the past."

"Has she?" Kathryn murmured just as the turbolift doors opened.

Before Tuvok could respond, they heard a shattering cry. Tuvok was about to call for security before Kathryn shook her head. "It's just Faith. Buffy got her a little worked up before and brought her down here to take care of her."

If it had been anyone else, Kathryn wouldn't have brought them, but not only could Tuvok be trusted, she knew that he wouldn't react to the blatant sexuality between the mates. Despite what most people believed, Vulcans were an extremely sexual race beneath all those layers of logic. Nothing that the mates could do would be enough to shock him, so she had no problem with him having intimate knowledge of their lives.

"Here's your coat, Kathryn." Buffy offered to her as she appeared from one of the crew quarters. "There's a sword sword and a dagger in one of the 'pockets', and your coat has a few smaller pockets for whatever else you need. We had it made when we found out that we'd be rejoining you." Buffy leaned in close and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I think Giles and Xander snuck something into one of the smaller pockets. They made us promise not to go peeking."

Looking at her curiously, Kathryn slid the coat on and watched closely as Buffy showed her how to get into the dimensional pockets. In one of the pockets, she found something that brought tears to her eyes. A photograph of them all. The Scoobies, the Potentials, Buffy and herself. She remembered the photo. Andrew had begged and pleaded for the better part of two days, until they'd finally agreed just to shut him up, and because he promised to do all the cooking. In one corner was Xander's inelegant scrawl 'Your Other Crew'.

In another pocket, she found something that truly shocked her. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open as she read the scanned pages of the prophecy telling of the ascension of a celestial power, from the innocent soul of a child-like woman, who would be guided to her destiny by a Guardian of the stars.

"Kes." Kathryn whispered.

"_N'mina?"_ Buffy said. "What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you later, love." Kathryn answered, taking a deep breath before folding the pages and putting them back into the pocket. "Let's get ready."

Buffy stared at her for a minute, then nodded her head and turned away. She lead them through the corridor to the holodeck. Entering, Kathryn and Tuvok were surprised to see a representation of an armory compound filled with all sorts of blade and medieval projectile weaponry. Buffy negligently waved around. "Take your pick. Willow set it up so that whatever weapon is on your person when you leave the holodeck, by the door or special transporter signal, connected solely to this particular program, that she set up with Voyager, would automatically become real. She also set up special sensors in this holodeck to detect the weapons when they're inside the coats."

"She has become quite efficient in holodeck and replicator technology." Tuvok commented, unaccountably impressed by the newcomer's ability to understand technology so far more advanced than her own. "Is the program available to all?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's only usable on this holodeck. My team, Faith's team, Kathryn, Laren and yourself are the only ones that can access it at the moment. If anyone else need to get here, then they have to submit an access request to you, since you're Chief of Security."

Tuvok nodded in approval. As Kathryn began plucking various weapons from the walls, Buffy disappeared into another room. A moment later, she returned, carrying what looked like a longsword wrapped in black cloth. She handed it reverently to Tuvok. "Danáe found this design in the database, and we had the blacksmith bang it out as a gift from us to you, Tuvok. You've helped us out a lot, and I know we've got to be a headache."

Brow raised in curiosity, Tuvok unwrapped the bundle, and Kathryn was amazed to see his eyes actually widen in surprise (which meant that he was actually shocked to the bone) as he revealed a Vulcan sword.

"Nicely done, beloved." Kathryn said, putting the last of her chosen weapons away. "Mark this day on the starchart. I think you've actually made Tuvok speechless."

Tuvok finally looked up from the weapon, focusing on Buffy and ignoring Kathryn completely. "I will put it in a place of honor."

"Let's go." Kathryn grinned at them before tapping her communicator. "Full stop, Chakotay, I want us just out of range of any Borg scanner if they show up. We'll take the Delta Flyer the rest of the way."

_Yes, Captain._

"That was nice of you." Kathryn said as they made their way to the Shuttle Hanger. Tuvok had remained in the turbolift to return to the bridge.

"We like him." Buffy shrugged. "He reminds of us of Giles."

Kathryn thought about that for a moment, then burst out laughing. The crewmen looked at her in astonishment, then smiled themselves before returning to their duties. Buffy tapped her communicator. "Prime Elite, report to the Shuttle Bay. Time to go to work."


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"That's a nice coat you've got there, Captain." B'Elanna commented as they flew through space towards the planet. "I didn't see those in the database."

Kathryn smirked. "That's because it was made for me by the S'Terrans."

She opened the coat to show them the inside, then astonished them by pulling out a short sword from one of the dimensional pockets.

"Wha..How..." B'Elanna looked flabbergasted.

Buffy just sat back and watched. Over the last few months, she had become great friends with the women in this ship, even though they didn't know that soon, they would be part of the mate group. The draw that she was feeling towards B'Elanna and Seven of Nine was like a tugging low in her belly, and she knew that it had to be more intense for Kathryn. At the same time, she knew that Faith and Willow were drawn to Laren in the same way.

"They are called dimensional pockets." Seven told her from her seat at the science station. "Folded pockets of space used to store items."

"Now, that is cool!" B'Elanna exclaimed. "Are we all getting one?"

All eyes turned to Buffy, who shrugged. "Gotta ask Will. I don't make them. Excuse us. I need to talk to my lady."

B'Elanna and Laren smirked at each as the door closed behind them. "I need someone like that."

"I thought you were dating Tom Paris." Laren responded. "That's not going well?"

"Caught him with Crewman Tolger." B'Elanna spit out. "He tried to give me some bull about his Captain Proton simulation. I'm done with him. Better to end it now than kill them both and end up in the brig for the rest of the trip."

"Well, that's true." Laren smirked. She turned to their companion. "You reading anything, Seven?"

"I am not." Seven answered. "There are no signs of Borg other than the fading transwarp signatures of the crashed vessel. We will soon be in range to do an in depth scan of the wreckage."

"So, when are you going to make your move?" Buffy asked after the aft door closed, blocking them from the others. "Seeing her in those body suits all day long is driving me nuts."

"Soon." Kathryn admitted. "Being near her is trying to me as well. Now that I've decided to accept my feelings for her, it's taking all of my control not to push her up against her console and break that Borg stoicism."

Moving before Kathryn could react, Buffy cupped her ass and pulled their bodies together, swallowing her protest in a kiss that curled her toes. Kathryn resisted for all of a complete heartbeat before her own suppressed need flared through her and she clenched Buffy's shimmering hair in her fists and took control of the kiss.

'_Buffy...'_ Kathryn tried to rein them in.

'_Your need is my need, N'mina.' _Buffy interrupted her, using her knee to separate her mate's thighs. _'You can not expect me not to see to your needs while we have the opportunity. That is asking too much.'_

'_The others...'_

'_Can't hear us.'_ Buffy pushed her hand between their bodies to press her fingers against the hard ridge of her lover's clit.

'_Oh, God.'_ Kathryn threw her head back, breaking the kiss and panting harshly. _'S-s-seven...'_

'_Will get used to it.'_ Buffy interrupted again. She pressed her fingers further down, and Kathryn moaned as she felt the fabric of her trousers press inside of her, blocking the feel of skin on skin that she needed. Right now.

"Liz." Kathryn moaned. She grabbed the Prime's hand and dragged it up to her waistband. "Honey, please."

"Yes!" Buffy purred, slipping her hand inside of Kathryn's pants and moving directly between quivering thighs. Using her thumb to stroke the hard nubbin, she pressed her fingers into her mate's body, closing her eyes in hedonistic pleasure at the feel of warm, velvet muscles spasming around her digits. Licking up the side of her neck, Buffy sucked on the sensitive skin beneath Kathryn's ear before whispering. "I want to get down on my knees and feast. Mmm, you always taste sooo delicious. I love feeling those muscles squeeze around my tongue."

Kathryn bit down on Buffy's neck to muffle her cries, moving instinctively to her mark, and Buffy was forced to pull her away when she felt her own sex clenching in response. Now was not the time for them both to be incapacitated. She watched with a feral smile as the captain's eyes rolled back in ecstasy, and suddenly, she wanted to watch her body move. Shifting quickly, she turned Kathryn so that they were back to front. Since Buffy was leaning against the wall that contained the bunks, Kathryn had no choice but to lean back into her mate and hook her hands around Buffy's neck. Buffy licked the sweat from her neck as she breathed in deeply, her purrs rumbling through her body and practically vibrating the room as she watched the lithe body undulate against her fingers.

She looked up when the compartment door opened and Seven of Nine's head popped through. Her eyes went impossibly wide and her mouth fell open as she took in the sight before her. Her skin flushed and, even from where Buffy was, she could smell the other blonde's sudden intense arousal. So could Kathryn, and it abruptly launched her into an overwhelming climax. Buffy fastened her lips over her mate's, swallowing the scream that had been brewing, only vaguely aware of when Seven jerked her head back and closed the compartment once again.

"Hey, you all right, Seven?" B'Elanna asked. She had been focused on the engineering console when she saw Seven stumble backwards out of the corner of her eye. The ex-drone was flushed and trembling. Her eyes were wide open and almost cerulean blue. "Seven?"

Seven barely heard her. She couldn't get the image of the captain arched and flexing in pleasure out of her mind. The glowing eyes and intense lust reflected on Buffy's face when she looked up at her. She was sure that even if she hadn't had an eidetic memory, the image would have been branded forever in her mind's eye.

"Hey, Seven!" B'Elanna finally had to snap her finger in front of the Borg's eyes to get her attention. "Did you tell the Captain our ETA?"

"They were..." Seven paused, trying to figure out the best way to say it. "Otherwise engaged."

Laren's eyebrows nearly crawled to the back of her head as she realized what Seven was hinting at. Wide-eyed, she looked at the closed compartment door. It took B'Elanna a moment to catch up, but when she did, she nearly stopped breathing at the images that suddenly bombarded her brain.

"Holy shit, are you serious?" She choked out.

"You must say nothing." Seven suddenly grabbed B'Elanna by her arms. "She did not see me, although Buffy did. If she realizes that we know what she did, she will withdraw from us."

It was the most emotion they ever seen the ex-drone display, and it took them by such surprise that they immediately agreed. B'Elanna put her hands on Seven's tense forearms. "Hey, Seven, calm down, okay?"

"By Willow Rosenberg's definition, Kathryn is my 'best friend', and I do not wish for her to withdraw from me because she is embarrassed by what I have seen."

"I wouldn't let her do that to you." Buffy said as she entered the forward compartment. When they all turned to her, she answered their unspoken question. "She's resting for a bit. Between her duty and the mating needs between us, she isn't getting enough sleep, and despite what she thinks, she can't survive on coffee alone. What did you want to tell her?"

"That we will be arriving at the planet within the hour." B'Elanna answered for Seven when it looked like the ex-drone was still speechless.

"All right, I'll be sure to wake her in time." Buffy disappeared back into the aft compartment.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

'_Wake up, N'mina ain.'_ Buffy coaxed as she placed tender kisses at the corners of Kathryn's upturned lips. _'We are almost at the planet.'_

Stretching lazily, Kathryn opened her eyes to see happy amber orbs sparkling back down at her. _'Hmm, thank you, beloved. I needed that.'_

'_I know.'_ Buffy smiled, then glanced up briefly. _'I have to warn you. Seven saw us before. She had information for you, and we forgot to seal the door. You are glorious to watch, by the way, but now she is terrified that you will stop speaking to her if you found out that she knew. B'Elanna and Laren have also guessed from her reactions when she back out of the room.'_

Kathryn's first reaction was horrified mortification, but Buffy was still talking. _'The scent of her arousal set you off, you know.' _Buffy's words caressed the inner recesses of her mind. _'She saw you, moving helplessly to my touch, and she flooded her panties. I bet there was enough to satisfy both our hungers. That first, delicious scent sent you flying, baby, so high you nearly passed out. The others were too occupied trying to imagine what she saw to realize how turned on she was, but not me. I wanted to push her against the console and feast until she screamed, but I didn't. That's for you the first time.'_

Kathryn whimpered as a small orgasm rolled through her at the words and the mental images the words invoked. Buffy held her close until her body stopped rocking and she regained control. Grabbing a handful of hair, Kathryn yanked her mate's face from her neck, causing Buffy to growl as the pinpricks of pain in her scalp sent tingles straight to her sex. "You're just racking up on that punishment, you know that? I'm going to have you begging for release."

Buffy's eyes immediately began to glow in need. Her smile was wild and reckless, and her body pushed down into Kathryn's, but the redhead pushed her back up. "Oh, no, my beloved mate. You have to wait until we return to the ship. No quickies for you."

_Captain, we will be entering the planets atmosphere in thirty seconds._

"Thank you, Seven." Kathryn responded. "We'll be right there."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"All right, _N'mina_." Buffy said as the stepped up to the wreckage. "We're here. Now what do you want us to do?"

"Laren, B'Elanna, check out the alien ship." Kathryn ordered. "Seven, Buffy and I will take a look at the sphere. See if there's anything salvageable. Seven, can you monitor the interlink and let us know if any spheres or cubes come to collect their lost sheep without integrating yourself into the link?"

"Yes, Captain." Seven concentrated for a moment. "There is currently no activity coming from the vinculum."

"You heard the lady, people." Buffy smirked. "Let's go."

They split up. Getting into the sphere through one of the larger hull breaches, Buffy pales at the sight of the half-machine, half-people lying in various positions. They were pasty white with black armor covering majority of their bodies. They looked like they were already dead. "Goddess, they remind me of vampires."

"Buffy, why do you and Willow say 'Goddess' instead of 'God' as most humans do?" Seven asked, examining several drones. "Do you believe in a Goddess instead of a God?"

Buffy thought for a minute. "Actually, I don't believe in either. The only Gods I've met have either made my life hell or tried to kill me and my family. Our Earth didn't start off as a paradise as most Earths did, and I know that better than anyone. I know that there is a Heaven and a Hell, because I've been to both places, but I haven't really given religion any type of consideration since I was called. I picked up using 'Goddess' from Tara, Willow's first girlfriend. She said it all the time, and it just sort of stuck. Willow says it because she actually worshipped the Goddess."

Suddenly, Buffy's senses began tingling. "Kathryn..."

"Captain!" Seven sprang to her feet. "The sphere's vinculum has connected with an incoming cube. The drones are reactivating."

**We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.**

Drones began appearing everywhere. Rising from the ground, coming from around every corner, stepping away from regeneration alcoves. Kathryn and Seven got off several shots each before they adapted their shields. Buffy, on the other hand, went with what she knew best. Drawing the Scythe from one of the larger 'pocket' on the inside of her coat, she began swinging at everything that wasn't her mate or her friend. Soon, there were Borg body pieces flying everywhere, as both Seven and Kathryn quickly followed suit. In a spare moment, Buffy slapped her communicator.

"Laren, B'Elanna, get back to the Delta Flyer." She yelled as she beheaded a drone coming up on Kathryn's blind side. "The Borg are active and there's a cube coming."

"What about you?" B'Elanna responded.

"We're fighting our way out now." She said, listening to the orders Kathryn was passing on mentally without taking the time to actually speak aloud. "Get to the Flyer and warn Voyager. Tell them to stay out of sensor range. We'll come to them."

The move was so fast that Buffy only had time to react. Throwing herself at the Borg drone suddenly standing behind Kathryn, she flinched and gritted her teeth at the pain that flared in her neck. The drone was almost immediately thrown back by a vicious kick to the chest from Seven. Buffy fell to her knees and reached up to touch the bloody wound. Then, Kathryn was next to her.

"Oh, God, Buffy."

Pushing back the pain, Buffy forced herself to her feet. "C'mon, we've got to get out of here."

Buffy managed to kill three more drones before the first starburst erupted on her jaw, turning the surrounding skin pasty white. She stumbled as she felt the hive trying to suppress her consciousness and take control. She lashed out in instinctive rage. _No one_ controlled the Prime. Seven and Kathryn froze momentarily as the drones converging on them convulsed for a second and several of them collapsed, but were quickly in motion when they began moving forward once again, hacking and slashing their way back to the breach they had entered.

'_Buffy, honey, fight it.'_ Kathryn pleaded frantically as she watched her mate struggled against the voices trying to submerge her. She felt Faith and Willow connect with them, drawn by the fury blazing along their connection. _'Fight that bitch!'_

Buffy's subsonic growls shivered down Kathryn's spine. She fell to her knees as pain erupted in her head. Behind the pain, she felt a faint sense of astonishment and vaguely registered that she'd caught someone's attention, before she focused on the source of the pain and concentrated all of her mental strength and fury on that one spot. She nearly passed out as something behind her ear shorted out with a short, sharp stab of agony. The drones that had bypassed her suddenly began to fall as, faster than the eye could see, the Prime of the S'Terrans unleashed her rage on the cybernetic monsters that had attacked her, that were attacking her mate. When it was over, Kathryn and Seven looked to see Buffy standing in the midst of Borg bodies and body parts, her Scythe and dagger clenched in her fists, teeth bared and eyes wild and feral as they searched for more enemies to slay. Her amber eyes finally settled on Kathryn, and her weapons lowered marginally.

'_Liz, it's over.'_ Kathryn tried to reach past the haze of fury. _'Come back to me, beloved.'_

Buffy took a step towards her mate and suddenly, her weapons fell from numb fingers. She collapsed into the darkness crying out her mate's name.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

In another part of the Delta Quadrant, black eyes opened wide. A pasty-white, bio-organic head attached to thick black cables moved through cavernous room to one of the pale green screens, accessing the data so recently acquired before the link was broken. There was not much, but there was enough to make a base analysis.

"Perfection."


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

B'Elanna was standing watch at the aft hatch while Laren powered up the shuttle, so she was the first to see the others running out of the wrecked cube.

"Oh, Kahless, no." She whispered.

Kathryn was in the lead, carrying Buffy's weapons, but Seven was right behind her with Buffy in her arms. The smaller blonde was obviously unconscious and there was blood on her neck and in her hair. Turning, she quickly prepared one of the bunks and pulled out the med-kit.

"Get us out of here, Lieutenant." Kathryn snapped as soon as she entered the shuttle. "Full stealth mode."

It had been only recently that they had discovered that the Delta Flyer had also been modified with better shields, better weapons and a stealth mode that left them completely invisible to sensors as long as they weren't firing their weapons or flying faster than impulse speeds. Seven lay Buffy on the bunk as Kathryn grabbed a medical tricorder and a dermal regenerator. Handing the items to Seven, she turned her mate's head to reveal a small wound behind her left ear where the skin was gaping open and burned beneath the blood.

"What happened to her?" Kathryn demanded as Seven ran the medical equipment over the wound and skin began to grow back in its place.

"She somehow destroyed the neural interface that connected her to the Collective." Seven answered as she worked. Once she was finished with that wound, she reset the parameters of the tricorder and ran it over Buffy's body. "All of the nanoprobes in her body have been rendered inactive and her body seems to be absorbing the machinery. Captain, Buffy Summers has somehow managed to defeat the Hive mind."

"Will she be all right?" Kathryn asked, tears welling in her eyes. She was so scared that not even her command mask was enough to shield her.

"I... I do not know." Seven hesitated. "Nothing like this has ever happened. I do not know if it is something that only Buffy is able to do, or if all S'Terrans can do it. I do know, however, that if data on Buffy Summers was transmitted into the Collective before the link was destroyed, the Queen will be interested in the organic being that was able to defeat the assimilation process. She will come after Buffy Summers."

"We need to get out of this system." Kathryn realized. "The faster, the better."

Pulling her command around her like a shield, she moved to the communications console, knowing that Seven would watch over her mate. "Delta Flyer to Voyager."

_Voyager here._ Chakotay answered. _What's going on, Captain?_

"Set a course, Commander." Kathryn ordered. "The moment the Delta Flyer is in the hanger, go to warp 8. I want us very, very far from here as fast as possible."

She cut the connection before he could question her further. She didn't have time for him right now. She opened another channel. "Voyager, my ship?"

"**Yes, Captain?"**

"Have Faith and Willow meet us in the Sickbay. Tell them to make sure that the others are calmed down. They will all know that the Prime has been hurt."

"**Yes, Captain."**

"She's going to be okay, isn't she, Kathryn?" B'Elanna asked nervously. They had all become close friends over the last month or so, and it was largely due to the unconscious blonde.

"She has to be." Kathryn said absently, moving to kneel beside the bunk and stroking her mate's smooth features.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Kathryn watched monitor closely as the Doctor operated to remove the internal implants that had grown in Buffy's body.

She half-listened to his running commentary of how the implants looked like they were in the process of being broken down and absorbed into her body as the deactivated nanoprobes had been.

Willow told her that the ability to absorb foreign objects into her system had been a part of her Slayer healing in their old dimension that she seemed to have kept during the transition.

Although Kathryn could feel Buffy's presence in her mind, Faith and Willow had been unable to connect with her. It seemed as if her mind had completely shut down from the trauma of fighting off the Collective. They were worried about how she would be, mentally, when she finally regained consciousness.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Buffy's mind was a mass of confusion when she finally awoke. Her head hurt and her body hurt and, when she managed to squeeze open her eyes, she didn't recognize the room she was in. For one terrifying, heart-stopping moment, she thought she was back in the padded room of the asylum, and she jumped off the bed so quickly, it made her light headed. She looked around frantically, trying to think, trying to focus. The room was empty, but it wasn't the asylum. There was medical equipment and desks and consoles. Facility. She growled as her eyes narrowed. _The Initiative._

"Ah, the patient awakens." Buffy spun around at the voice. How had he gotten so close? No one could sneak up on her. Now she was even more confused. She was facing a balding man in a strange uniform of some sorts, but he wasn't registering on any of her senses. "Is this a Slayer vision? Who or what are you?"

"Now, Buffy, you know we can't understand your language."

Buffy's brow furrowed. Before she could respond, doors slid open and a scent and presence rolled over her that she would recognize if she had died and gone back to heaven. "Kathryn."

"Buffy." Kathryn practically ran across the room to take the blonde in her arms, followed quickly by Faith and Willow. "Oh, God, honey, you scared us so badly."

"What happened to me? Why can't I remember?" Buffy clung to the redhead as if she were a lifeline. "I hurt all over and my head feels like I ran into a wall. I feel like I'm wrapped in cotton up there, like I did after I got rid of that 'essence of the demon' that made me telepathic. What's going on?"

"You need to rest, young lady." The Doctor interrupted. "Your neural pathways are erratic, and only bedrest will allow them to stabilize."

"I'm not staying here." Buffy said flatly. "I don't know who or what you are, but if I can't sense you, then I'm not staying anywhere near you."

"Doctor, can she rest in our quarters?" Kathryn held up her hand before he could argue. "Believe me, it would be for the best. If she stays against her will, she'll spend the rest of the night trying to sneak out, rather than resting. She'll actually sleep at home, with her mates surrounding her."

The doctor finally sighed and nodded. "Fine, but she needs at least twelve hours of uninterrupted rest, whether she actually sleeps or not. Her system needs to settle, and the more anxious or excited she become, the longer it will take."

Kathryn thanked him and led Buffy out of Sickbay and back to the Captain's quarters on Deck 3. The three of them undressed an unusually docile Buffy and stepped with her into the shower. They washed her clean, keeping their touches soothing rather then stimulating, and took her to bed. Stroking her comfortingly, Kathryn told her what had happened, and of the surgery the doctor performed to remove the implants that had grown in her body. The nanites, they discovered, had been completely broken down and absorbed into her blood.

"I don't want you to worry about anything right now, darling." Kathryn said, putting her in the bed and climbing in beside her. She had already told Chakotay that she would be taking care of her mate, and not to disturb them unless it was a red alert. Faith and Willow climbed in behind Buffy, both kissing her gently on the back of her head and along her spine. "Sleep now. We'll take care of you."

Floating in the serenity and safety of her mates, Buffy drifted off into a deep, healing sleep.

"What's gonna happen now?" Faith asked quietly.

"Well, if I know the Borg Queen, she'll come after Buffy just to find out what could resist assimilation. We don't know how much information about the S'Terrans was transmitted before Buffy managed to destroy the link. Hopefully, the Queen thinks that Buffy is one of a kind, because I don't think that any of the rest of you will be able to do what she did."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

When Buffy woke again, she knew who, what and where she was, and yet another horrific memory was put in its place. She was alive, her mates were at her side and her mind was her own. Whatever happened next, she'd handle it like she always did.

Lifting herself, she shifted so that she was resting between Kathryn's legs. Her beloved mate was tense even in her sleep, unable to truly rest from worrying. Pressing soft, nipping kisses along her mate's jawline, she smiled as the redhead arched her neck, giving her more access. She kept the kisses soft as she made her way down a slender throat to tease her tongue on hardening nipples.

"Hmm, you're feeling better." Kathryn murmured, arching into the caress but not opening her eyes.

'_Much.'_ Buffy answered impishly as she finally took the hard tip into her mouth. She closed her teeth firmly around Kathryn's nipple and stroked it lovingly with the rough surface of her tongue, making Kathryn hiss in pleasure and arch her back as that pleasure sparked throughout her body. She attended to one breast for several long, torturous moments before scooting over to give equal treatment to the other.

"Liz." Kathryn muttered through clenched teeth. Her breasts were sensitive to stimulation and she was on the razor's edge of climax from the attention. "Please."

With one last flick of the tongue, Buffy finally gave her a reprieve. She kissed her way down flushed skin to dip into her mate's navel, causing her stomach muscles to clench in reflex action. Kathryn arched up into the caress, and Buffy glanced up to take in the sight of that beautiful body bowed as pleasure flowed like hot lava through their connection. Her eyes shifted to the side as she saw Willow's head appear to take one of Kathryn's breasts into her mouth and Faith appeared to swallow her cry with a hungry kiss.

Through it all, Buffy continued to take her time. She cleansed the slick fluid from her mate's inner thighs with long, languid strokes of her tongue, reveling in the taste and the sensation of the fists clenched in her hair, the sharp stabs of pain as Kathryn tried to force her where she needed her the most.

'_Patience, N'mina ain.'_ Buffy admonished, growling involuntarily at a particularly hard jerk.

'_Patience, my ass.'_ Kathryn snarled back. They both heard Faith and Willow chuckling. _'Fuck me, Liz. Now!'_

'_Aye, Captain.'_ Buffy pulled one of her legs up over her shoulder and buried her tongue deep into Kathryn's body. Inner muscles clamped down on her tongue and she moaned as fresh juices flooded her mouth. She drank it all greedily, and searched for more. The captain's body undulated as her climax rolled through her in waves, building higher and higher as the three S'Terran worked her body. Suddenly, Buffy latched onto her clit, sucking firmly and flicking it with her tongue until Kathryn was screaming through her final orgasm, her body collapsing as she slid into unconsciousness.

Buffy cleaned the secretions from Kathryn's thighs, making sure she got it all before moving to make her mate comfortable.

"Are you okay, Buffy?" Willow asked. She and Faith had moved to the side of the bed as Buffy reconnected with Kathryn. They might all be mates, but Kathryn was the one that Buffy would instinctively turn to when she needed a stable anchor to cling to. That was simply the nature of their bond. "What happened?"

Buffy thought about it for a moment, dragging out the memory to examine it thoroughly. "I could feel those things growing inside of me. There were all these voices and all this knowledge, and it was trying to push me deeper and deeper so that it could take control, and I just lashed out. It's kinda like that Verxes demon."

"The one that took you over when you got infected with it's blood a few years ago?" Faith remembered.

Buffy nodded, curling her body around her mate as she relaxed. "It took everything I had to break that demon's control, and I wasn't about to let that happened again."

"KJ says that the Queen's gonna come after you, and the rest of us if she got that much information."

"Let her come." Buffy snarled. "We'll teach her a new definition for 'resistance'."


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

"We need to go dancing." Faith suddenly declared. She jumped to her feet, pulling Willow up with her, and began moving to the remembered rhythm of nightclub beats. "Cut loose and shit. Hell, I wasn't even there and I'm all worked up."

"That sounds awesome." Buffy admitted. "But we don't have anything like that. No clubs on starships, remember?"

"I could probably make one." Willow muttered, her eyes glued to the swaying hips of the younger brunette. "B'Elanna told me that there's an old bar holoprogram called Sandrine's. I'm sure I can make one for an all ages nightclub, so that the other girls can access it too."

"Don't forget to put in some slow songs." Buffy told her. "I think Kathryn would appreciate those more."

"Hey, B, what are we gonna do about our other mates?" Faith suddenly asked as she flopped back onto the bed. "Cause I swear, every time I look at Laren, I want to lick her all over. Especially when we spar."

"So, what are you waiting for? The mating will take place when you're all ready." Buffy mused. "It's weird that I don't feel the pull towards her that I feel for Seven and B'Elanna, though."

"If it makes you feel better, I barely sense them." Faith admitted. "I didn't sense them at all until the four of us were fully mated together."

"That's it, exactly. I wonder why that is?"

"Don't look at me." Willow said when they turned in her direction. "I know as much about the mating processes as you do. It's either something Dawn forgot to mention, or it's one of those 'odd' things that only happens to you, Buffy, and us by association."

Buffy thought about that, then shrugged. "I guess it isn't really that important."

"So, what about the dancing?" Faith asked.

"Give me a few days." Willow told her, climbing over the dark-haired S'Terran with an intense look in her eyes. "I should have something workable by then."

Buffy leaned back and snuggled with her mate as she watched Willow and Faith. She loved watching them. She thought Faith was perfect for the more aggressive Willow that had emerged after her descent into Dark Magic. They seemed to compliment each other so well, and in ways that had seemed so odd to Buffy at first, mostly because she had been sleeping with Faith at the time, but even she had to admit that they were perfect together. She waited until they were asleep as well before climbing out of bed.

"Voyager, where's Seven?"

"**Seven of Nine is in Cargo** **Bay 2."**

_What is she doing in there?_ Buffy wondered. They had moved her alcove out of the cargo bay a month ago, after Buffy and Willow finally convinced her that part of being human including have her own space. They had given her quarters near the turbolift on Deck 17, since the Borg was still uncomfortable with the crew, yet felt right at home with the S'Terrans. As a housewarming gift, B'Elanna had created a space in the quarters and installed her primary alcove. They'd left the spare one in the cargo bay along with the other Borg components.

"Deck 8." She said as she stepped onto the turbolift. She greeted those who spoke and acknowledged the well wishers as she walked through the corridor. Entering the cargo bay, she saw Seven sitting against one of the far wall, appearing lost in thought. "Hey, Seven."

"Buffy Summers." Seven acknowledged. "You are no longer damaged?"

"C'mon, Seven, what'd we say about that whole name thing?" Buffy admonished. "What's wrong?"

Seven was silent for a moment. "All this time I have held myself apart from the things that the Borg had done. The things that I had done when I was still a part of the Collective. It... hurts to know that some of the individuals of this Collective blame me for what happened while I was a drone, but Kathryn always said that what I had done was not my fault because I had no choice." She suddenly looked up at Buffy with tears in her eyes. "It is different now that it has happened to you. You are my 'best friend', other than Kathryn, and to know that you were almost taken by the Borg, to have to watched you fight for your individuality, makes me feel guilty that I was once capable of such things."

"Seven, this was not your fault, and I won't let you feel guilty for something you didn't do." Buffy said firmly. "Kathryn was right. Whatever you did when you were in the Collective, wasn't your fault. What happened back on the planet, wasn't your fault. Not unless you called the Borg down on us. Did you?"

"No, of course not!" Seven nearly jumped to her feet.

"Then it isn't your fault." It was a simple method, but always effective. "Now, I want you tell me about the Borg. I felt something, like a separate consciousness right before I broke the connection or whatever. Kathryn mentioned something about a Queen. I need to know all about her if she's going to come after me like you guys think."

"I will comply."

"Great, but before we talk about that, I have a couple of other questions for you." Buffy stood up, pulling the much heavier Borg up with her almost effortlessly. "But let's go someplace else. Don't want somebody to wander in on us."

They ghosted through the corridors side by side. No one bothered them because they had such serious expressions on their faces. By the time they reached their destination, Buffy could barely control herself, and when the doors finally closed, she burst in side-slitting laughter as she stepped in front of the replicator. Accessing her personal database, she ordered two juices and handed one to Seven.

Seven sipped, and her ice blue eyes opened wide. "I have not seen this juice in the replicator database before."

"When we say that Willow's a techno-genius, we mean it." Buffy smirked. "Kathryn explained all sorts of your technology to Will when she was in Sunnydale, including the terrible quality of coffee from the replicators. All three of us are serious caffeine addicts, especially good coffee. When we discovered that we were coming to this dimension, Willow wrote a problem that broke down and converted the base components of our favorite foods into something that she could program."

"But most of those component are not compatible with the nutrient programming of the replicator."

"Did we forget to mention that Willow was a professional hacker?" Buffy smirked. "She's even broken through Borg encryption codes a time or two."

Now Seven's eyes were really wide. "How is that possible?"

"In our world, they're known as prodigies. Probably not so rare here, but she picks up computer and programming stuff really easy."

"What did you wish to discuss?" Seven changed the subject

"Well, I was curious about something." Buffy sat next to her friend. "Kathryn told us that you were assimilated at six, and that your emotional growth was 'stunted', but I notice sometimes, that you show an amazing bit of maturity and understanding. The Borg absorb all the data and experience of whoever gets assimilated. Do they really discard the 'irrelevant' data?"

Seven looked at her with some surprise.

"I had a friend once." Buffy continued. "She was just a kid, really, but she had the unenviable ability of being able to absorb the experiences of any object or person that she touched. By the time they realized what was wrong with her, she'd absorbed the experience and knowledge of her parents, classmates, teachers, her parent's friends among certain others. Several very bad doctors ended up in prison for the rest of their natural lives as a result of some of that, so it wasn't without some benefit. When she was twelve, she fell in love with this guy, but no one believed her because hey, she was still a kid. She told me that her inexperience didn't negate what she knew, and the experiences that she'd absorb had given her enough knowledge to be absolutely sure of what she was feeling."

Seven's look turned wary.

"My little exposure to the Collective left me with enough info to actually understand what I just explained to you about Willow. Most of the stuff that was up there has already faded to the background, and I'll probably be back to regular Buffy in a day or so, but it was enough to let me know that you probably know at lot more than we realize. For instance, when you walked in on me and Kathryn, you weren't curious or scientific about your reaction in the least. You got instantly aroused, enough that the scent swamped our senses and pushed Kathryn right into her orgasm."

Seven set down the glass and put her hand behind her back. She sighed before answered, a human response that she recently found relaxing when stressed. "The Queen evaluates the data during assimilation. The unedited data is then transferred into her adjuncts for 'storage'. The adjuncts then remove the irrelevant data before dispersal into the collective."

"You were an adjunct."

"Yes."

"So you have the knowledge of not only entire species, but also of each individual that was assimilated."

"Yes."

"You knew those people. What made them laugh or cry? You knew their pleasure." Buffy paused, and looked at the Borg in sympathy. "You knew their pain."

A rare tear trickled down a pale cheek when Seven looked away and whispered. "Yes."

"Hey, Seven," Buffy waited until the other blonde looked at her again. "It's still not your fault."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Buffy sat down in one of the seats and sipped her juice while the Borg regained her composure. The Aeroshuttle had been one of the few places that very few people on the ship knew of. It had been the unofficial 'Captain's Yacht', located under the saucer section, but it was rarely used. During the Voyager's change, the shuttle had been melded into the ship and changed into a type of observation deck. There were seats, a few consoles and a replicator, but not much more. However, you could see outside the ship and, for those feeling adventurous, make the entire hull transparent so that it looked like you were standing in open air. She wondered what it would be like to make love to Kathryn with the hull transparent. Just the thought was enough to make her lick her lips.

"Was that all you wished to speak with me about?" Seven interrupted her musing.

"Ahh, no actually." Buffy mentally shoved the images to the back of her mind. "I wanted to talk to you about Kathryn."

"Is she all right?" Seven asked, instantly concerned.

"She's fine." Buffy assured her. "You know the truth about her, don't you?"

"That she was previously Admiral Janeway before assisting you in Sunnydale?" Buffy nodded. "Yes. She told Commander Tuvok and myself when we were 'rescuing' you."

"Well, she lived a whole lifetime before this happened, where she did what she was supposed to and shoved her feelings aside to be Captain." Buffy told her. Seven nodded. "One of those feelings she shoved aside was about you."

"I do not understand."

Buffy took a breath. "She loves you, Seven. She always has. You are one of our potential mates, but right now, Kathryn thinks you are too young, emotionally, for her to consider bringing you into the fold. I know that you love her as well. I've seen it in your eyes when you watch her. Faith and Willow have seen your envy when you watch us together."

"She loves me?" Seven looked astonished.

"Yes, she does, but Seven, you're going to have to make the first move. In this case, just like with my friend, knowledge outweighs experience. You may have never felt the emotion yourself, but you recognize it from the thoughts and memories of the people stored in your head. However, she doesn't know that you have that knowledge, so you're going to have to make her understand."

"I do not understand."

"Seduce her." Buffy stated bluntly, stepping in close. She pressed her fingers along the hardness of Seven's abdominal implant, and the Borg involuntarily shuddered at the sensation. "I know the skin around your implants is very sensitive. I can still feel it where mine were." Stepping around her, Buffy's teased at the mesh flesh of her Borg hand, and Seven began to tremble. "Do the alterations that Dawn made to your implants make them sensitive to touch as well? I would _love_ to find out." She was whispering now. "Use my tongue to see where warm metal turns to hot skin. Unfortunately, Kathryn has the privilege of claiming you first. Until then, I'm relegated to light... teasing... touches."

Buffy had nipped Seven on the neck between words at the end, then pulled away completely. Seven nearly collapsed at her feet. "I'd work fast. Seeing you in those body suits makes my fingers itch."

"I..." Seven swallowed, hard. "I will comply."


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Seven of Nine sat in her quarters, trying to come to grips with the influx of data that she had suddenly been bombarded with, one piece of information being the most important. Kathryn loved her.

She looked at the holo-image on the shelf her alcove. Although she had a bed, she didn't not sleep often, preferring to regenerate instead, so shelves and such had been situated between the two. There were several there. One depicting her and Willow, their heads bent close together as they worked on a project from the same console, one of her with Buffy and Faith when they were in the Sandrine's simulation and one of Seven and Kathryn. Buffy had surprised them one night, an amazing feat itself considering Seven's own enhanced hearing, and snapped the image during one of her late-night philosophical discussions with the captain.

She thought about how Kathryn would react to the fact that she had been withholding the extent of her knowledge. She had closed herself to the knowledge that she had stored in her cortical node, using only what was necessary at any given moment. Just enough to identify a species and their potential strengths and weaknesses. She realized, after her talk with Buffy, that it had been partly out of guilt, but a part of it had also been because she liked having Kathryn as a mentor. She liked having Kathryn's attention as the captain attempted to teach the former drone what it meant to be human. She liked it when Kathryn's face lit up and her eyes sparkled when she 'regained' another piece of her humanity.

She knew exactly when she fell in love with Kathryn. The sight of Kathryn aglow in pale green light appeared in her mind. Kathryn had been willing to give up her beloved command to rescue to single drone. Even though she was well aware that Kathryn would give her life for any member of her crew, her willingness to give up her command was something completely different, and Seven had known it with an instinctive knowledge. At that moment, she had fallen completely and irrevocably in love with the redhead and turned her back on the Collective once and for all.

She thought about the decree that Buffy had presented to her. _Seduce Kathryn._ The thought kept cycling around and around in her head. Her eidetic memory brought up the image of Kathryn in Buffy's arms, her back arched as the Prime had worked her body. _Seduce Kathryn._ She imagined herself stepping forward, instead of backwards, when her paralysis had finally broken. Stepping up to help stroke the redhead's body, to prolong her climax, to swallow her cries with her kiss as she had seen Buffy do at the end. _Seduce Kathryn._ Buffy had said that it had been the scent of her arousal that had pushed Kathryn into climax. Just the thought made her shiver.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Yo, B, what's up?" Faith strolled into the Holodeck where Buffy was going through the moves of an advanced kata.

Buffy grunted. She had been working out for several hours, trying to put out the fire in her veins. When she'd first awakened, she immediately felt the exhaustion in her mate, and had tended to her, relaxing and reassuring, so that she could get a restful sleep. It didn't, however, assuage the need that was burning her alive. Her confrontation with Seven didn't help, either. It had taken all of her considerable self-control not to strip the tall blonde when the scent of her arousal had filled her senses. She spun around when her workout music was suddenly changed to a beating, driving rhythm that echoed in her blood, and her mouth fell open at the sight of the Alpha. Faith was sauntering towards her with her shirt hanging open and her leather pants opened and unzipped.

"What's it gonna be, Prime?" Faith asked, stepping into Buffy's personal space and licking at her open mouth. "Take, or be taken?"

Buffy inhaled, and now it was Faith's arousal that filled her senses. Heart pounding, she tried to reign herself in, but she knew it was a lost cause. Groaning, she closed the distance between them with a fierce kiss that bent Faith backwards.

Faith allowed it for all of a minute, then she tore away from the kiss. She knew what Buffy was feeling. The loss of control was something that Slayers never handled well. Especially when that control was taken from them by an enemy. She knew that the only way to get Buffy past this was for her to _take_ it back, not to simply give it to her.

"Uh uhn, B." She sidestepped the blonde reaching for her. "You don't think it's gonna be that easy, do ya?"

"Don't play this game, Faith." Buffy growled.

"Don't worry. I won't push too far." She sidestepped another grab and slapped Buffy's hand away, just hard enough to make the blonde growl. "C'mon, you can do better than that."

Almost before she finished speaking, Buffy was standing directly in front of her. Before she could even gasp in surprise, strong hands gripped her waist to hold her in place as the Prime dipped her head and nipped at the base of her throat, just enough to draw a small bead of blood. It had been more surprising than painful, but it had been enough to get a response and, with a growl of her own, Faith buried her fingers in shimmering blonde hair and yanked Buffy's head back to kiss her hard.

Buffy broke the kiss and smirked as she threw Faith's words back at her. "You can do better than that, can't you, F?"

After that, they battled for control. Back and forth, until Buffy finally managed to shove the younger woman against the wall and pin her hands over her head. Feasting on those perfect breasts, Buffy soon had the brunette shuddering and panting in need.

"Oh, fuck." Faith gasped as Buffy bit down firmly on hard nipples as she pressed her thigh between her legs.

'_Mmm, Faith,'_ Buffy purred in her mind. _'Come for me.'_

With a gasping cry, Faith exploded. She floated in a sense of euphoria for several minutes. Suddenly, fire surged through her body as a soft tongue pressed deep into her. Buffy drank greedily of the copious juices that flowed from her youngest mate. Faith felt herself racing towards the edge fast. She could barely breathe. She felt herself connect with Willow as she finally broke down and began to beg for release. Felt her mate's surprise as she was struggled not to collapse in the lab she was working in. Buffy, for her part, carefully kept the intensity away from her mate, not wanting to disturb her much needed rest, but when Faith climaxed on her tongue, all she could concentrate on was the delicious nectar pouring down her throat. The S'Terrans felt the First Mate as her body reacted even in her sleep.

'_N'mina.'_ Buffy whimpered. Her body, already tense from playing with Faith, tightened to an almost painful intensity.

In her lab on the holodeck of deck 17, Willow was leaning against the wall, panting from the release that had suddenly rolled through her, and desperately glad that she was alone.

In her quarters on deck 3, Kathryn was having the most delicious dream. She was stretched out beneath her mate, lying on her stomach, as Buffy pressed herself down, pushing her clit into Kathryn's ass to a climax that had her whimpering and shuddering above. It was something that Buffy loved to do, almost as much as Kathryn loved having the younger, stronger woman at her mercy as she rode her from behind. There was something addictive about having all that power trembling at her fingertips, and knowing that only she would ever be granted that submission.

Buffy, her mind drawn to the rising lust emanating through the separate bond she shared with Kathryn alone, neared passed out in need as their thoughts merged and she saw what Kathryn was dreaming. Her need coalesced with the rush of the climaxes from the other three, and Buffy's body imploded without having been touched once. She screamed into Faith, who responded by clutching her head closer as her clit spasmed and another orgasm crashed through her, which started the chain reaction all over again. Kathryn jerked upright in her bed as just as the others mercifully passed out.

Without waiting for a command, Voyager beamed the unconscious S'Terrans into their bed.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Back at the planet, the cube that had reactivated the drones finally cleared orbit and transported down to the surface. The Borg Queen, watching though the many eyes of her ever diligent drones, watched impassively as necessary components were removed from the bodies of dead drones, many dismembered in some way or another. She directed them to gather as much information as was available to find the being that possessed such strength and fury. She wanted that organic. Wanted it assimilated and its perfection added to her own.

Samples of DNA was analyzed from drops of blood and sweat, and an 'interesting' discovery that made her smile coldly.

"Captain Janeway." She directed the cube to look for signs of Voyager. She then directed the drones to collect the blood of the one she wanted, so that she could analyze and identify the odd qualities that were not registering in the extensive biological database at her disposal. As the cube tracked down Voyager, she would use them to experiment on the blood collected. She needed to access how the accelerated healing properties would effect the assimilation process so that the drones could be adjusted accordingly.

As soon as the cube found Voyager's trail, she directed them to intercept the Federation ship, leaving the drones on the surface with commands that destroyed their neural links and overloaded their cortical nodes, destroying them. They were irrelevant. She would have perfection. She was Borg.

It did not occur to her that this new species could be as dangerous as Species 8472, or even more so...


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Kathryn looked at her mates, still breathing hard. She had been jerked awake from the most erotic dream she'd ever had, only to find herself climaxing in empathic response to what Buffy had obviously been doing to Faith. Willow was fully dressed and Kathryn could already sense her recovering. Faith smelled of sex, sweat and a hint of blood. Buffy, however, was practically drenched in Faith's juices. It was glaringly obvious what she had been up to. With a sigh, she climbed out of bed to replicate a bowl of warm water and some clothes to clean them up. It took a bit of maneuvering, even with the new strength of her body, but she finally managed to wipe them both down and shift them into a more comfortable position. Then, having no reason to be anywhere since she had logged off duty the moment that she sensed Buffy awakening, she climbed back into bed to bask in the presence of her mates. She took a deep breath as she stared at Buffy's face. _I don't know if I'd survive losing you, beloved._

"Goddess, if I had known that Buffy was this good, I would have snatched her up a long time ago."

Kathryn's laughed at Willow's unthinking comment. It was a low, husky sound that made the younger redhead's body hum. Despite the multiple orgasms the other two had induced, her body still throbbed with the need to touch and be touched. Her eyes began to glow as she looked at the captain, reclining lazily against the headboard, idly running her fingers through Buffy's hair, looking like a queen with her harem. That thought sparked her very vivid imagination and, in her eyes, the room around her changed into a lavish chamber. Buffy and Faith remained asleep, the Queen having worn them out, and Kathryn wore only a sheer, see through robe. Willow saw herself was dressed in half-opened harem clothing, awaiting her turn to pleasure and be pleasured.

"What are you thinking, love?" A soft, purring voice questioned in her ear. Willow's breath caught and she opened her eyes to see Kathryn leaning over her. "There are such interesting sensations coming to me through our link."

"Umm..." Willow stammered, caught. Involuntarily, she opened her mind to the older woman, pulling Kathryn into her fantasy. Kathryn's eyes fluttered closed for a moment as, through her mind's eyes, she saw what Willow saw. Kathryn groaned and grinned lustily when she looked at the younger woman again.

"We could always have holographic emitters put in the bedroom." Kathryn said silkily. "You seem to have a real knack for envisioning places to play."

Before Willow could respond, Kathryn caught her lips in a kiss that had her moaning in need. So focused on the kiss, Willow didn't feel it when her shirt was removed, but, oh goddess, did she feel it when her aching breasts were covered by long, elegant fingers that teased her hardened nipples, making her back arch as she reached for a firmer touch. She broke the kiss with a gasp as her nipples where firmly twisted. Her insides clenched and she could feel her wetness flooding her panties.

"Oh, goddess, Kathryn." Willow moaned. "That's feels so good."

Kathryn merely smiled, moving her kisses to the slender throat bared for her attention. She knew that Willow's breasts were sensitive like her own. Given enough stimulation, they could both come without being touched anywhere else. They both knew this, because both Buffy and Faith had experimented with it for several hours one particularly heated night. Moving down her mate's body, she nibbled on those plump breasts as her fingers traced idle patterns down a flushed abdomen to dip teasingly into her lover's navel. She spread Willow's legs with one of her own, and the young redhead hissed as her body arched when Kathryn's thigh grazed her swollen clit.

"Kathryn, please." Willow begged, clutching the sheets with one hand and cupping the back of the captain's head with the other. "Touch me, please."

Smiling around the patch of skin she was sucking on, Kathryn dragged her nails down Willow's skin beneath moist curls. The girl nearly hyperventilated in reaction. The chuckle that resulted was low and wicked and, before Willow's body relaxed, Kathryn plunged two fingers deep inside, closing her eyes in reaction to the clamping of inner muscles. She didn't let it stop her, though. She opened her fingers against the spasming muscles, using her nails gently, before twisting her wrist to press into Willow's sweet spot.

"Oh, goddess!"

Kathryn used her body to press Willow back down when she surged upwards. Her smile was as feral as any Buffy had ever gave her. She continued to thrust into Willow, forcing her climax further.

"Kathryn, please." Willow gasped. "No more."

"Oh, no, my lovely one." Kathryn licked the glistening sweat gathering on the girl's flesh. "I'm the Queen, remember, I say when it's enough."

Willow whimpered as yet another climax rolled through her. Kathryn gave her a wicked chuckle as she slowed long enough for Willow's heart to stop pounding quite so hard, then she began again. Thrusting furiously through the aftershocks, driving her back to that edge ruthlessly. Willow's cries were constant now. She was practically sobbing, for mercy or release, she wasn't exactly sure which. Finally, Kathryn leaned down and bit down on her mark, located on the curve of Willow's right breast, as she pressed her thumb firmly in her throbbing clit. Willow exploded with a choked scream.

"That was fucking hot." Faith admired from her position behind Kathryn.

"Oh, yeah." Buffy agreed wholeheartedly.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

When Kathryn entered the bridge for her duty shift, she was in high spirits. She nodded to her crew, and most of them smiled back at her good mood, with the exception of Tuvok, of course, and Chakotay. It still amazed her that easy-going, laid back man she had come to admire and consider a friend harbored such bigoted views, and again she wondered if it was only because it was her that was in the relationship. It was a true shame in her mind. They had lost the easy banter and camaraderie that they used to share on the bridge. She felt a pang of sadness at that, but pushed it aside. It was, after all, his choice.

"Captain, sensors are picking up readings of a Class J nebula." Harry reported. "It's rich with deuterium."

"We should load up while we're here." Chakotay commented. "There's no telling when we'll come across another one."

"You're right." Kathryn nodded. "Harry, prepare the Bussard Collectors. Tom, change course."

"Aye, Captain." His fingers flew over the control as they approached the nebula. "Ready."

"Take us in."

They had nearly filled their stores when the ship was suddenly rocked. Before Kathryn could even question in, the ship rocked again. "Raise shields! What the hell is going on?"

"We're being fired upon, but I can not locate the origin." Tuvok reported.

"Is the nebula affecting our sensors?" Chakotay asked.

"Negative." He answered. "I can only assume that they have technology capable of simulating the nebula to use as cover."

"Red alert!" Kathryn commanded. "Tuvok, find that ship. Tom, evasive maneuvers. Do the best you can."

She glanced back as the turbolift doors swept open and Seven stepped onto the bridge. Having been appraised of the situation by Voyager while in the turbolift, she moved over to the auxiliary ops station and immediately began attempting to recalibrate the sensors.

"Seven, who's in Astrometrics?" Chakotay asked.

"Willow Rosenberg." Seven answered shortly, not looking up from her work.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kathryn saw Chakotay's jaw clench at the mention of her mate, but he couldn't really say anything since over the months, she had become more than qualified in that all-important science department.

"Captain, I have detected a pocket of the nebula that is moving against the rest of the cloud." Seven suddenly reported. "I am sending the coordinates to Commander Tuvok's terminal now."

"Tuvok?" Kathryn looked over to her security chief.

"I have the coordinates and am targeting phasers."

Two phaser shots and a large ship flickered into view, but before Kathryn could congratulate him on a job well done, Voyager made a disturbing announcement.

"**Captain, something has transported onto deck nine."**

"Tuvok to Buffy Summers, there are intruders on board." Tuvok immediately responded as he continued his assault on the unknown ship. "Voyager, seal all doors and activate force fields."

_We're on it._ Buffy answered.

"I want to know how they got aboard."

The unknown ship fired on the again as their attackers recovered from their surprise at being accurately fired upon and began evasive maneuvers, but the blasts merely bounced harmlessly off their shields.

"Target their weapons and engine." Kathryn ordered. "And their communications array. Don't need them calling for back-up."

"Aye, Captain."

In another part of the ship, Buffy and Faith met Laren's security team on deck five. Thanks to Voyager's ability to report the intruders almost immediately, they had been secured before they could reach any of the doors to the offices. Buffy was about to comment when something tickled her senses. "Faith, Laren, there's something else here."

Almost before she finished speaking, a gaseous cloud began dispersing from the biosuits of the intruders, quickly filling the space of the force fields. When it began to seep through, Laren began barking orders.

"Everyone fall back to the turbolifts." She yelled. "Voyager, transport all personnel on deck five to safety and erect level ten force field on the entire deck, including all jeffries tubes."

Faith and Buffy could hear the faint sounds of multiple transports even as they reached the turbolift. The gas attempted to follow them, only to be blocked by another, stronger force field. They spun around, automatically dropping into defense positions, when the turbolift doors suddenly opened behind them, only to relax slightly when Kathryn and Tuvok stepped off.

"The ship has been neutralized." Kathryn said, looked past them at the gaseous entity. "What the hell is that?"

"What ever it is, it's sentient." Buffy told her. "And it's not friendly."

Kathryn studied the gaseous entity swirling against the force field, highlighting it again and again as it tried to find a way around it. Voyager, however, had been extremely thorough. If air could pass through, it was shielded, even within the walls of her hull. Finally, Kathryn stepped forward so that she was in front of the others. "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. You have attacked my vessel without provocation. Who are you and what do you want?"

The entity stopped swirling for a moment, then slowly began coalescing into a humanoid form, but said nothing. Buffy, however, could feel a sensation pressing inside of her head, making the inside of her skull itch. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Faith twitch, but it wasn't until Tuvok touched his temple that she finally figured it out. "_N'mina_, it is gas. I don't think it can talk. It must have another way of communicating. Call Willow."

Kathryn glanced at her beloved, then summoned their mate. A few minutes later, Willow joined them, looking wide-eyed at the gas creature before them. Then, she paled and fell a step back before she got a feral look on her face and the creature burst out of form. "Be nice!"

They looked at the usually soft-spoken redhead. She saw their stunned glanced, and Tuvok's raised brow, and blushed lightly. "It was lashing out. That's probably why Buffy felt it. It's yelling 'trespassers'."

The creature slowly reformed. Buffy could immediately feel the difference. The intense buzz in her head was gone. "The nebula? Is this your home?"

"Yes." It answered through Willow.

"I'm sorry." Kathryn didn't hesitate. "We didn't know. It was not our intention to trespass. A type of the gas that makes up this nebula is used to power this vessel, and we were merely attempting to gather more. If we had known it was occupied, we would have asked for permission or attempted to trade. Is that a possibility?"

"It doesn't understand the concept of 'trade'." Willow told them. "All it knows is that we're destroying it's home."

"Janeway to Kim, whatever deuterium hasn't already been broken down, release it back into the nebula."

"Captain?"

"Do it."

"Aye, Captain." He sounded confused, but she knew he would follow orders, even if he didn't understand.

Kathryn turned her attention back to the creature. "We apologize, and as soon as you are off the ship, we will leave."

The entity cocked its swirling head. Willow spoke again. "You are not like others."

Kathryn's brow rose. "They probably had no idea why they were suddenly under attack. You should attempt to communicate before the unprovoked attacking. If it will help, we will place a beacon outside the nebula to warn off others. If they know that you are they, they might think twice before entering."

"You would do this?" The entity questioned through Willow. "Why?"

"Because it's the right think to do." Kathryn answered. "It's your home, and you have a right to be safe in it. If they ignore the beacon and enter the nebula anyway, then you will be justified in protecting your territory." The creature began to disperse. "Before you go, can you tell us how to recognize if another of your kind is inhabiting any other nebula we come across?"

"We will know you. We will help you." Willow tilted her head. "Kathryn, it's cleared a section of the nebula for us to collect." She tapped her communicator. "Willow to Tal, can you scan the nebula in the immediate vicinity. Look for any variance."

A minute later, Celes Tal responded with the coordinates. Kathryn nodded at the creature. "We thank you."

The entity dispersed and vanished, leaving the armor crumpled on the deck. A moment later, the armor disintegrated and vanished as well. Sighing, Kathryn breathed deeply to slow the adrenaline rushing through her. She turned to Tuvok and Laren. "I still want to know how they got on board."


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Somehow, word of the program that Willow was building spread through the ship. By the time it was ready, there were discussions of dates and what to wear popping up all over.

"So, Seven, what are planning to wear?" Willow asked her friend as they worked.

"Wear?" Seven repeated, her implant rising over her eye.

"Yes, to the get-together tomorrow night." Willow was practically bouncing in place. "I finally finished the program yesterday, and since everybody know about it now, Kathryn decided to take advantage of the fact that there's no one around for lightyears in any direction, and she letting the whole crew participate. The ones who don't want to party will man the controls, so to speak."

"I have no intentions of..." Seven began

"Oh, no you don't!" Willow interrupted. "Don't even think of finishing that sentence. You're coming, and that's that."

"I do not feel comfortable attending social gatherings." Seven explained.

"It won't be like that." Willow assured her. "The only thing you would have to worry about it having a good time and enjoying the company of whoever you choose to go with. Since you'll be going with me and the others, then that's all you need to be concerned about. You don't even have to talk to anyone else if you don't want to."

"I do not know." Seven murmured, her resolve weakening. She enjoyed spending time with her friends, especially the mates.

"How about I show you a little of what it's like." Willow offered. "We all went to a nightclub one night before the Big Fight, and danced until we dropped. If you're still not interested in going, then I'll tell the others."

"Very well." Seven nodded after a moment's thought.

Grinning, Willow closed her eyes to bring up the memory, then grabbed Seven's hand to share it, not want to risk broadcasting because it was one where things had gotten rather hot between her and Faith, and Buffy and Kathryn had practically been having sex on the dance floor. By the time Willow ended the scene, Seven was audibly panting. She replayed the image from her eidetic memory, focusing on the way Buffy and Kathryn gyrated and moved against each other to the pounding sounds. Kathryn had been wearing snug fitting denim jeans and a tank top and Buffy was wearing a halter top and a leather mini-shirt. Kathryn was dancing behind Buffy, holding her close with a hand on her bare stomach and Buffy had one arm thrown back around Kathryn's neck. Both of their eyes were closed and they moved together as one.

"I did not know that Kathryn could do that." Seven finally said.

"Oh, she told us that she doesn't do it often, but she can really let loose when she needs to. We were really needed to blow off steam at that point, so we left the Potentials with Giles and Wood, and went out and partied all night. If we'd been drinking, we'd have had the hangovers from hell."

Seven didn't respond, and it was clear to Willow that she was still focused on what she'd shown her. Inhaling deeply, she licked her lips at the scent of Seven's growing arousal.

"Well," Willow drew the word out in enticement. "I'm sure that Buffy and Faith can get her on the dance floor like that again."

Instantly, the scent grew stronger. Seven, however, merely nodded. Then, she shook her head slightly to clear it. "I have no other clothes than my biosuits."

"Don't worry about it." Willow pat her on the arm. "We'll think of something. Subject change. What do you think of Celes Tal?"

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"So, Buffy, I've been hearing some interesting rumors." B'Elanna said conversationally through their communication link.

"Is that right?" Buffy drawled, knowing full well what the woman was talking about.

They were on the hull of the ship, dismantling the device the nebula creature had used to transport the intruders. It had been shot onto them during the first attack, before they'd gotten their shields up, but like the ship, it was infused with nebula particles so that it didn't give off any type of reading. It was only after they had left the nebula that Voyager had registered the strange weight.

"Oh, yeah. I heard that your little techno-genius is making a nightclub holoprogram based on someplace from your old home."

"Yeah, it's this club that we all went to one night when the stress was making us nuts. It was me and Kathryn, Faith and Willow and Xander and Anya." She looked over at her friend speculatively. "You wouldn't believe how hot Kathryn was that night. She was in these jeans that just hugged her ass, and this tank top. We were on the dance floor, and it was so intense that, I kid you not, she could have taken me right there and I'd have happily let her."

Buffy carefully kept her gaze on the work, not wanting B'Elanna to realize that she was telling her this just to get a rise out of the Klingon. She could feel the heat of her gaze even through space between them. "Anyway, it was originally supposed to be just the four of us, so Kathryn could cut loose. She won't do that if other crew members are around. You guys, maybe, but definitely not the others. So, Willow made a few changes, and we're going to be in a separate 'special invite only' section, I guess. Part of the same program, but a private party, so to speak. I'm inviting you, Willow's getting Seven, and Faith's gonna ask Laren. There will be a few of the S'Terrans there as well, but very little of the rest of the crew."

"Do you know who?"

"Well, I've heard that Ian has been getting awful friendly with Sam Wildman." Buffy grinned at her. "Naomi told me that her mother licks her lips after they kiss."

Detaching the container where they'd been packaging the parts, Buffy and B'Elanna made their way back to the airlock. B'Elanna waited until the lock cycled and let them into the ship before continuing the conversation. "Sam Wildman with one of you guys, huh? What about her husband?"

"I assume that's why they haven't mated. I know that Sam's waiting for a letter from him, and I think she want to see where things stand before she makes any decisions."

"Talked with her about this a little, huh?"

Buffy nodded. "Ian asked me to after she freaked out when he told her what the taste meant the first time they kissed."

"So, tell me more about this night out with the captain."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Yo, Laren, you busy?" Faith sidled up next to the security officer.

"A little." Laren answered, not looking up from the PADD she was reading. "What's up?"

"Came to invite you to go clubbin' with us."

Laren stopped and looked at her. "Is that what the rumors of Willow's new program have been about?"

"Yeah, I wanted to go dancing and kinda seduced Red into making it." Faith grinned lasciviously. "It was supposed to be just for us, but somehow word got out, and now that everybody knows, KJ said to make it available for everyone. Since she'd never relax enough to tear it up like we know she can if her crew is there watching, Willow made a separate VIP section that cut off from the main part of the club. Available by special invite only and all that shit."

"And you're inviting me?"

"Sure. You, Seven and the Klingon were the first on our lists. I think KJ is gonna invite Tuvok and his lady, but I seriously doubt that's gonna happen. Trust me, you don't want to miss this. Her and B nearly set off the fire sprinkler the last time we went clubbin'.

Laren could believe that. She had learned a lot about Kathryn Janeway in the last few months, the woman, not the captain. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have never believed the hedonistic streak in her commanding officer. It reminded her of the Betazoid women that she'd dated in the past. As Kathryn relaxed around her, B'Elanna and Seven of Nine, they had the privilege of seeing a completely different side of the woman. They saw her seduce and be seduced. They saw her tease her mates unmercifully and grab them when they were teasing her. Which they did. Often. She knew that they could communicate telepathically between each other and, on more than one occasion when Kathryn was looking bored on the bridge, Laren had seen her tense up and focus inward, and she always found herself wondered which mate had contacted her and what they were saying.

Especially this one.

There was something about Faith that drew her. Had she been single, Laren would have been bedding her from the start, but it had been beautifully obvious how the brunette felt about Willow. Which wasn't that much of a problem, because she could easily see herself all over the cute little redhead as well, but she had to find out if they played outside the marriage bed first. Then, they ended up mated with Buffy and the Captain, and Laren knew that she'd lost her opportunity. There was no way she was poaching on the Captain's territory. Oh, well, she'd get over it.

"So, what do I wear?"


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Buffy ran her fingers through silky red hair as she watched her mate sleep. Kathryn had been good about coming home at a decent time, but there were still some occasions where she was forced to put in long hours on the bridge. Yesterday's run-in with the Kazon was one of those times. They were supposed to debut the nightclub program yesterday, but half-way through Beta shift, three Kazon ships latched onto their trail, and wouldn't let go. When Kathryn had finally gotten tired of the chase, she brought the ship to a stop and allowed them to catch up, bringing their shields to maximum strength.

"Captain, we're being hailed." Harry announced.

"On screen."

"We meet again, Captain Janeway." Said a familiar voice.

"You're a long way from the Kazon-Nistrim, Cullah." Janeway acknowledged him. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I am here for your technology, of course." The First-Maje said, smiling coldly. "As you can see, you are outnumbered, and our weapons have been upgraded since our last confrontation. Surrender your ship, and I will leave your people unharmed."

"You don't want to make this mistake, Cullah." Kathryn gave him a cold smile of her own. "I don't have the time or the inclination to play this game with you. You no longer have Seska at your side to give you the inside track, and things aboard this vessel have changed greatly. If you attack my ship, you _will_ regret it."

"I'm surprised, Captain." He laughed. "No attempts at peace talks. I seriously doubt that you would destroy my ship, especially since you know that I most likely have mine and Seska's son on board."

'_Buffy, Faith, get your teams prepared.'_ Kathryn called to her mates. '_You're going on a hunt. Willow, I need you to relay a message to Tuvok.'_

Kathryn continued to talk to Cullah even as she gave out orders to her mates to pass along. By the time Cullah finally shut up and launched his attack, Voyager was more than ready. With her shields at maximum, the weapons fire did nothing more than shake them up a little. Kathryn sat back comfortably and gave him her coldest smile as his eyes widened when he saw how ineffectual his 'upgraded' weapons really were.

"What's wrong, Cullah?" Kathryn asked. "Not what you expected?"

Without giving him a chance to answer, she turned and nodded at Tuvok. At her signal, he began a series of high intensity phaser fire aimed at a single point on the closet Kazon ship, weakening the shields drastically, and quickly. A few minutes later, the shields were down and Tuvok beamed Buffy's team onto the ship.

**We're on board.**

Kathryn nodded to Tuvok again, and he turned his attention to the next ship. Before long, Faith and her team were away as well.

**Oh, yeah. Gonna have some real fun now.**

Kathryn smirked at the comment from Faith. She traded potshots with Cullah's ship to give the teams a little time then, when the firing ceased from the two Kazon ships, she ordered Tuvok to target their weapons array and engines. It took a few more focused shots, but soon the ship was disabled, and Kathryn enjoyed the disbelief on the First Maje's face at how easily he had been defeated.

"Now, Cullah, here's how the current situation stands." Kathryn uncrossed her legs and stood. "In a matter of minutes, my crew has disabled all of your ships, and commandeered two of them. Your shields are down, weapons are down and engines are down. Now, we are going to transport our prisoners to your ship, and you are going to leave us alone. Cullah, this _is_ your last chance. Cross my path again, and there won't be enough of you to scatter across the stars."

Buffy grinned at the memory. She had watched Kathryn from the bridge of the ship that she had highjacked and the commanding presence of Captain Janeway in full force had nearly made her lightheaded with lust. She wanted nothing more than to beam back over and take her right there on the command deck, but she had a job to do, and Kathryn wouldn't appreciate it. So, she set her arousal to the side and focused her attention back on her team. After they had neutralized the Kazon crew, B'Elanna had gone straight to the engine room while Seven took the bridge. Buffy, Laren and Raktoth watched over the prisoners until Seven had control of the transporters and sent them to the Maje's vessel.

"The prisoners have been successfully transported." Seven announced.

Buffy nodded and tapped her communicator. "Ours are gone, Kathryn."

**We're done, too.** Faith said.

**Set the self-destructs, and return to the ship.** Kathryn ordered.

Now, Kathryn was asleep, after getting through her reports and debriefings and assuring herself that her ship and crew truly were fine, even though not one shot had penetrated their shields. She had been agitated when she finally came back to their quarters, and it probably hadn't helped that Buffy and Faith were using Willow to work through the needs that the fight had ignited within them. Buffy tried to shield her as much as she could, knowing that she couldn't leave during her shift, but it was hard given how intense the needs were. Their natures were a lot more primal than they had been as Slayers, and it was instinct for them to connect with their mates when the fire burned in them.

Buffy felt Kathryn's body shift under her touch, even though her caresses were meant to sooth rather than arouse. She could feel the tension building in her mate. She would need to release the pressure soon. Since the odds of her getting into a real battle anytime soon were no where near in their favor, it was a good thing that Willow was creating the nightclub scene. That would help her release all the tension building up that she couldn't work through with sex. Although, she had to admit, it was _sooo_ much fun trying. She was glad that she was off tomorrow. They were clubbing tonight, and fully intended to wear the captain out.

"C'mon, B." Faith said from the other room. "She'll be asleep for a couple more hours. We're helping out in Engineering today. How far do you think we can push Torres before she tries to put one of us through a wall?"

Buffy laughed as she finally got out of bed. Dressing quickly, she joined her friends. Like Faith, she was dressed in jeans and a workshirt. Willow, who was heading off to work in Astrometrics today instead of her holodeck lab on deck 17, was dressed in something a little more professional. Although she truly enjoyed working in the specialized lab, she was mostly going to try her luck with Celes Tal. The young Bajoran attracted her for some reason, and she wanted to find out if it was mutual.

"All right, I'm ready." Buffy said, ordering coffee from the replicator. "Let's go to work."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Kathryn rolled over as she opened her eyes. It was a rare thing for her to wake up alone and, as she had realized before, she did not like it. However, even she had to admit that she'd needed the sleep, and with her insatiable mates, it was better that they were elsewhere. She lay back on the pillows again, breathing in the scents of her mates on the sheets, and relaxed for a little while longer before she finally climbed out of bed to get ready for her shift.

"Good morning, everyone." She greeted as she stepped off the turbolift onto the bridge.

She was greeted cheerfully by her crewmen, except for Tuvok, who merely nodded at her briefly. Chakotay smiled at her, and she nodded at him in return. They had not spoke any more than necessary since their confrontation before the away mission. True to his word, he had fulfilled his duty efficiently. She knew that they needed to talk about what had happened in her ready room that day, but for now, she couldn't bring herself to put up with his bigotry just yet. She also knew that Buffy, Faith and Willow would not tolerate his aggression towards her so soon into the mating. Especially Buffy. They did need to talk, but not yet.

"Anything happening out there?" She asked.

"Everything's quiet." He answered softly. He looked away in regret, knowing that he had severely damaged their relationship. If he wanted a relationship with her, he'd need to do some serious bridge-rebuilding, but he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't ready to talk about it now.

"Good." She stood. "I'll be in my ready room."

Kathryn ordered her coffee from the replicator and sat down behind her desk, ready to take on departmental reports. _I really need an assistant_, she thought ruefully. She hated the damn things, but she refused to let this one piece of Starfleet regulation fall to the wayside, even now. A few hours later, after she'd made a considerable dent, she set it aside to access more personal work. The plans she was working on to ensure the safety of her crew, Starfleet _and_ ex-Maquis. They had been out here for nearly five years already. Many of her Starfleet crew, herself included, could be retired from Starfleet had they been at home. One of the first ideas that she'd discussed with Tuvok after they had gotten back on course to the Alpha Quadrant, was the possibility of drafting the Maquis crewmembers into the lightest possible Starfleet commissions that could find. If for no other recourse than to say that they had already served as true Starfleet officers. She also knew that once Seven, Willow and B'Elanna were able to document the upgrades to the systems in terms that could be reproduced on other ships, then they would have a powerful bargaining chip. She still had no intention of informing Starfleet Command of Voyager's sentience, however, because she could almost guess what orders she would be forced to disobey to keep her ship safe. However, the weapons, shielding and composition of the hull would make a considerable difference in the war against the Dominion, if they could be reproduced. She sat back in her chair as she considered something else.

"Those coats that they wear are almost as good as body armor." She said to herself thoughtfully. "I wonder if Willow and Seven can create a design that would fit into Starfleet uniform regulations."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Hey, Seven, you ready to go shopping?" Buffy grinned.

Seven looked at the shorter blonde in confusion. She looked over at Willow, who shook her head. "Don't worry about it. She just means we're getting ready to get you dressed. She's a little excited."

Seven's ocular implant rose. She stood off to the side as Buffy scrolled through the available options for clothes programmed into the replicator, occasionally pausing to study Seven before shaking her head and continuing. It went on for about an hour before Buffy finally made a decision. Once the clothes materialized, Buffy laid them out on the bed, then pulled Seven into the ensuite. She hopped up to sit on the sink and pulled a small make-up kit from inside her coat. Seven stood motionless as Buffy applied a light eye-shadow and blush, along with a lip stick with a glossy sheen, explaining all the while the purpose of each application. Behind her, Willow unraveled the bun of silky blonde hair, unable to stop her fingers from combing through it, before gathering the mass into a long, single braid down her back. When Buffy finally moved so that she could see herself in the mirror, even she had to admit that she was more than merely aesthetically pleasing.

Buffy grinned at the amazement on the Borg's face. She gave her a moment to get used to her look, then pulled her back into the bedroom. "Let's get you dressed, then you can come with us while we get dressed. Kathryn should already be in the holodeck. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she gets a load of you!"

The walk from Seven's quarters to the Captain's was uneventful due to the fact that it was rarely trafficked by Starfleet crew. The walk to Holodeck 2, however, had rumors flying through the corridors faster than warp 9. The men and women that were accustomed to seeing Seven of Nine in her form-fitting biosuits were slack-jawed and frozen in shock at the woman that strode past them without so much as a glance. Those who managed to keep moving, but forgot to watch where they were going, found themselves running into walls as their eyes remained glued to the three visions as they passed in outfits that many had never seen before.

They walked into the packed nightclub, and Seven froze momentarily to take in exactly what she was seeing. The entire simulated room was packed with bodies. Although the room was darkened, there were flashing lights going off in fast enough intervals to give the room sufficient illumination. Although about two thirds of the patrons were holograms, Seven recognized many faces in the mass of bodies. The atmosphere was stifling and she had to use her cortical implant to adjust her hearing to an acceptable level. She considered returned to the comfort and safety of her quarters, but found herself being pulled through the crowd by her determined companions, aware of the wide-eyes looks the crew were giving them as they passed.

"Ignore them." Buffy said without turning, having felt Seven's pulse race before her nanoprobes regulated them. "All you have to worry about is having a good time with the people that invited you. If you're not having fun, we'll leave, okay."

Seven nearly sighed in relief. "I will comply."

Willow led them through the crowd to a door off to the side that was being guarded by a large man in black. With a nod, he opened the door for them, blocking the few others to tried to get in behind them.

"Hey, how come they get to go in?" Seven heard someone demand. "I thought that was the VIP section."

"She owns the place." The bouncer shoved him back, making him lose his balance, as he closed the door behind him. "Now, back off before you're outta here."

This room was subtly different from the outside. There were only about two or three hundred people, all still dancing hard to the pounding music from the band that they could see on the screens high above them. Seven could see B'Elanna Torres on the dance floor between a holographic man and woman and Samantha Wildman was also on the dance floor, dancing with one of the few S'Terran males. A sweep of her eyes found Faith at the bar, half leaning between the Delaney twins as she listened to whatever they were saying with a wicked smirk on her lips. Laren was seated at a table next to Kathryn, who was dressed like she had been in the vision that Willow had given her. She was reclining in her seat in a completely relaxed position that Seven had never seen before, her slender fingers idly rocking a bottle before lifting it to her lips and drinking as she listened to whatever Laren was saying.

'_N'mina, we're here.'_ Buffy sent to her mate.

Kathryn glanced over briefly, then turned back to her conversation. The corner of Buffy's mouth quirked a moment later as the captain froze and turned back to them, wide-eyed and slacked jawed, the beer bottle millimeters from her lips. Buffy swayed as she was almost overwhelmed by the lust that flooded through their connection. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Willow's eyes close and a quick glance revealed that Faith was now standing straight and staring in their direction.

"Oh, yeah," Buffy smiled wickedly. "We're gonna have some fun tonight."


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Kathryn sat frozen, staring at the sight not more than twenty feet from her. Seven was standing there, looking around with wide-eyed wonder, dressed in tan work boots, tight stone-washed blue jeans, a tight tank-top that molded to every curve, and an old-fashioned leather air-bomber that she had once admired on Amelia Earhart. She swallowed hard against the lust that suddenly swamped her. Only Buffy could have done this. Only Buffy knew her tastes and fantasies enough to put that ensemble together. Tearing her gaze away with difficulty, her wide eyes narrowed as she took in the diabolically wicked grin Buffy had on her face.

'_Oh, my love, you are in so much trouble.'_ She sent heatedly.

'_Maybe, but not until after we dance.'_ Buffy impudently responded.

Buffy and Willow were dressed in their usual clubbing outfits. Both were wearing tight skirts and tops that showed off their midriffs. Willow's skirt made it down to mid-thigh while Buffy's ended about six inches below her ass. Buffy's top was tied around the neck and the back, leaving most of her skin bare, while Willow's shirt was knotted just below her breasts and had long flowing sleeves. They pulled Seven along as they made their way through the small crowd to their table. By the time they reached the table, Faith and B'Elanna had also arrived.

"Damn, Seven, you look beyond hot." Faith circled her approvingly. "You did good, B. You did _real_ good."

"Why, thank you." Buffy grinned and bowed slightly before grabbing Kathryn's hand. "C'mon, _N'mina_, let's dance, and we can talk about my 'punishment'."

"You're gonna be punished, all right." Seven heard Kathryn mutter under her breath. "I'm going to have you begging before the night is through."

Seven shivered at the threat, but noticed that Buffy, Willow and Faith merely smiled in anticipation, obviously hearing her as well. She watched them avidly, hoping for a repeat of the vision she had been given.

"Don't watch so close." Willow told her. "If she notices, then she won't dance. Wait until they're into it."

Seven nodded, then turned to her younger friend. "How are you progressing with Ensign Tal? Is she 'interested' in you?"

Willow grinned brightly. "I think she is. She was a little worried about my mates, but I assured her that they already knew. We're going out the next time she has the day off."

Laren and B'Elanna were staring at them in shock. Finally, B'Elanna sputtered incredulously. "Wait a minute. You're telling me that you're hitting on another woman, and your mates know about it?"

"Well, sure." Willow told them. "We're highly sexual, and monogamy really isn't in our nature. I mean, it was when we were human, but not so much now. Now, Buffy and Kathryn probably won't stray from the mate group, but they've always been a little different, and our mate group isn't complete yet, but Faith and I, and almost all the other S'Terrans would find it difficult not to act when someone calls to us, and because mates are connected both mentally and emotionally, it's impossible to keep something like that a secret."

"Is that what Faith is doing over there with the Delaney twins?" Laren asked.

"No, she just likes to flirt with them." Willow answered with a smile. "They really are a lot of fun when you get to know them."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Come on, baby, relax." Buffy said to her mate as she began to move to the music. "We're here to have a good time, remember? We hand picked the few crew members that were allowed in here, so it's just the ones that won't run and tell if they catch you fucking me in the bathroom."

Kathryn's eyes snapped to Buffy's face, her mouth hanging open for a moment before she recognized the wicked teasing. It was enough to break through her reservations though, and she reached out to grasp her mate by the hips and pull their bodies together.

"Your ass is mine tonight, beloved." She whispered against Buffy's lips as she reached around to grip the body part in question. "Both literally and figuratively. We'll see how cocky you are come morning."

"And if we're interrupted by another red alert?" Buffy grinned.

"Then there won't be enough of whoever it is for them to be considered space dust." With that, she shed the cloak of her command and all the responsibilities that came with it. For tonight, she was just the _N'mina_, First Mate to the Prime of the S'Terrans. Just like they had all shed their respective mantles back in Sunnydale for the night and simply been friends and lovers out enjoying the night. She kissed her lover, quick and hard, and let the music take them, their bodies flowing together seamlessly as they moved to the rhythm of the hard, pounding beat.

From the table, Seven watched them, engrossed in the way they moved against each other. Ignoring the conversation around her, she felt heat pool low in her belly as she watched the way their bodies ground together, teasing each other, foreplay on the crowded dance floor. She was hot just watching them. She made a mental note to have Buffy teach her to dance like that. Suddenly, glowing amber eyes are focused on her as Buffy began to dance, back to front, with Kathryn. She closed her eyes with a shuddering breath at the hot lust in that gaze, but when she opened her eyes again, it was another pair of eyes that froze her in place. Blue-grey eyes shaded dark with arousal, just as wild and just as fierce as her S'Terran mates. That look inflamed Seven more than anything else, and it took all her self-control to remain where she was. The S'Terrans may be predators by nature, but the Borg were conquerors, and Seven wanted nothing more than to conquer the will of the one woman who had managed to bring them all to heel.

Just then, the music ended and they slowed to a halt. Finally taking her eyes off of Seven, Kathryn whispered in Buffy's ear before turning and disappearing into the crowd. Buffy, however, still hadn't taken her gaze off of the tall blonde still sitting frozen at their table. She made her way back to the table with a sexy little strut that immediately redirected Seven's gaze to her swaying hips, so the Borg missed the wicked smile that curved Buffy's lips. They were alone at the table. B'Elanna was dancing with Willow and Laren had joined Faith in chatting up the Delaneys.

"So, Seven," Buffy purred in her ear. "Enjoying yourself?"

Seven felt as if her voice had been severed. She shivered as Buffy's fingers teased along the visible metal lines of her cybernetic hand. It brought back their conversation in the Aeroshuttle, and from the look in Buffy's eye, the Prime was thinking of the same thing. A smile curled the shorter blonde's lips. "She went to the restroom. You should go 'help' her wash up, while I go to steal the twins from Faith and Laren."

Seven took a deep breath as Buffy moved away. Even as a drone, she had never met anyone with a presence so intense as the Prime's when she was aroused. Her eidetic memory replaying the scene of the mate's dancing together, her own eyes darkened with arousal as she finally stood and made her way through the light crowd of people. Pushing her way inside the bathroom, she instantly locked gazes with the Captain the large mirror, even as she imperiously ordered the other restroom occupants to leave.

"Seven, what are you doing?" Kathryn asked.

"Taking Buffy's advice." Seven smirked as she moved to stand at the red-head's back. She leaned down closer to a red-tipped ear. "I am 'helping' you wash up."

Kathryn stopped breathing all together when Seven stepped up behind her, pressing their bodies together as she held the red-head's astonished gaze in the mirror. Reaching around to cage Kathryn in her arms, she took the cold, wet towels out of her captain's limp hands, and drew it slowly up her chest and skin, bared by the low neckline of her tank top.

"Watching you dance with Buffy was very stimulating, Kathryn." Seven murmured as she cleaned the sweat from Kathryn's neck. "I was very tempted to join you, despite the fact that I do not know how to dance in that manner."

Kathryn's eyes fluttered as her mind was assaulted with visions of Seven dancing with her and Buffy. Only, in her mind's eye, she was in the middle, with Seven's voluptuous form pressed to her front as Buffy moved against her back. Her eyes popped open as her breasts her suddenly cupped in long, slender fingers and lips were pressed against the sensitive spot behind her ear. Biting her gently on the lobe, Seven firmly manipulated the plump breasts as she pressed kisses along her jaw, until Kathryn turned her head so that their lips met in a kiss that nearly melted her bones. Seven nearly cried out in sheer joy at the delicious, yet indescribable taste that filled her, recognizing that the taste proclaimed them as potential mates.

"Oh, God, Seven." Kathryn moaned, her knees going weak.

"I think I need to ask Buffy to teach me to dance like she does," Seven whispered in her ear. "So that the next time we are here, I can dance with you. Would you like that?"

"God, yes!" Kathryn said, turning quickly in her arms so that she could kiss the taller woman again. In a sudden, surprising move, Seven lifted Kathryn to sit her on the counter as they devoured each other. Kathryn pushed the leather jacket off of her shoulders and was pulling up the t-shirt when she suddenly broke the kiss, panting, as Seven pinched her nipples firmly. She felt the sensation pulse between her legs, and wrapped them around Seven's waist, pulling her closer.

_Riiiip!_

Seven's lips curled in a small smirk as she felt the back of her t-shirt loosen as it was ripped up the back. Then she gasped as her wrists were gripped and pulled away, and Kathryn's eyes took on a feral, predatory gleam that would have frightened most others. Before she could act, however, the door rattled as someone tried to get in. "Hey! Some of us need to use the bathroom too!"

Kathryn froze as her mind cleared and she realized that she had been seconds away from mating Seven in a nightclub bathroom. They stared at each other for a tense moment as Kathryn attempted to pull herself together, then the captain slowly uncurled her legs from around the Borg's waist and slid off the counter.

"I think you should go back to the table." She said, turning back to the sink and turning on the water. She met Seven's gaze in the mirror once last time. "Give me a few moments."

Seven nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and she pulled her leather jacket back on. She knew that the redhead was at the end of her control. She suspected that Kathryn would not want to complete their mating in such a place. She kept their gazes locked as she back away slowly. Once she was out of Kathryn's reach, she spun around, unlocked the door and wrenched it open, leaving quickly without looking back as several people stumbled inside.

Kathryn watched her go in the mirror before splashing cold water on her face and taking several deep breaths. It didn't help. Pure, molten need was flowing through her body like hot lava. Pushing away from the counter, she shoved her way through the suddenly full restroom. She needed to get away from all these people, find her mate and get to their bed, or an empty room where they wouldn't be disturbed, or hell, even a dark corner. At this point, any of the three would work just fine.

She found Buffy watching her intently, her eyes glowing, from across the room where she was leaning against the bar. She knew that, with the nature of the bond between them, that her young mate knew exactly what had happened in the bathroom. The knowing smirk on her face made Kathryn suspect that she had even planned on it. Focused on Buffy, she pushed her way through the crowd, not even noticing B'Elanna tense up as she passed, her intense arousal and aggressive scent triggering a mild reaction in the half-Klingon. B'Elanna turned to see Kathryn stalking through the crowd and, after glancing over to locate her target, smirked and turned back to the woman she was chatting up.

"That was not nice, mate." Kathryn growled as she stepped in close, putting both hands on the bar on either side of Buffy to trap her. She felt Buffy's unconscious purrs rumble vibrate between them, knowing that the Prime could feel and smell the lust that was raging inside of her. She felt Willow and Faith start towards them, drawn by the fire in her, but she mentally turned them away with a promise to make it up to them later and asking them to find Seven and keep and eye on her. This was between her and the Prime. "You should not have sent her to me like that. I almost mated her in there."

"You needed to be pushed." Buffy explained with no remorse. "You were taking too long. Your preconceptions of her would have held you back otherwise."

In the back of her mind, Kathryn acknowledged that she was most likely right, but at the moment, that wasn't the point. Leaning in until her lips were next to Buffy's ear, she whispered. "I need, Liz. The fire is burning me alive."

Panting, Buffy tried to push off the bar so that they could leave, but Kathryn refused to move. She looked into Kathryn's steady gaze, and swallowed hard. Beneath the need, anger burned. "_N'mina_?"

"Not so fast, my love." Her smoky voice had Buffy shuddering. "You've been teasing and tempting and playing with fire for some time now. Did you really think you would get away with pushing me indefinitely?"

Buffy nearly passed out from lust. Her sex was pounding almost harder than her heart was. Goddess, she loved it when Kathryn got all dominating. She was so damn sexy when she had all the control. That was why Buffy pushed her sometimes. To bring out this side of the captain. This was the side of Kathryn Janeway's personality that had defeated obstacles and enemies through the Delta Quadrant to bring her little crew home, the side that defeated The First on his own terms, the side that even the Prime of the S'Terrans submitted to willingly.


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N: Reading this at work would probably be a **BAD** idea. ;D

Chapter Twelve

"Hey, Seven, are you all right?" Willow and Faith joined her at the table. "Kathryn asked us to check on you."

"I am...functioning." Seven answered slowly, looking up at them. She was relieved to see the understanding in their gazes. Her body was still throbbing from the encounter in the restroom.

"Felt a little of what happened in the bathroom." Faith said. "Damn, girl, you are _hot_. Got KJ so bothered that she dragged B right out of here. From the vibes I got, B's gonna get her ass pounded for pushin' the issue."

Seven looked startled. "I do not wish to get Buffy into trouble."

"Don't worry about it." Faith reassured her. "She's been pushing KJ for a coupla days now. She gets off on having Captain Bad-Ass come out and put her in her place."

"I do not understand." Seven thought Faith had the strangest way of speaking.

"Buffy likes being sexually dominated on occasion." Willow explained. "But because of who and what she is, she'll give only Kathryn the power and control necessary to force her submission."

"Hey, Buffy and the Captain leave?" B'Elanna asked as she and Laren joined them.

"Yeah, they're gone." Faith answered.

"Good. I swear that woman makes me shiver sometimes. If I didn't know better, I'd swear to Kahless that the Captain had Klingon blood in her."

Seven looked around at her friends. Although she had been having a good time, she knew that she was no longer fit company with her body throbbing with need. "I believe that I will return to my quarters."

"I'll walk you." Willow immediately volunteered. She caught her mate's eyes with the smallest of nods towards Laren, and Faith grinned.

"Well, not me." B'Elanna finished her drink in one gulp and jumped to her feet. "Now that you've let them go, I'm going to see if the Delaneys wanna have some _real_ fun."

Faith just laughed. "Come on, Laren, let's dance."

"I don't know how to do this type of dancing." Laren protested, even as Faith began dragging her towards the dance floor.

"You show me yours and I'll show you mine."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Are you really all right, Seven?" Willow asked as the walked down the mostly empty corridor to the turbolift at the end of the hall.

"I have never felt arousal this sharply before." Seven admitted in a low voice, not wanting the few crewmembers that they passed to hear her. "It is unsettling."

"It will only get worse." Willow told her starkly. "What you're feeling now is nothing compared to the mating fire."

"How do you withstand it?"

"Faith and I? We don't. We'll drop whatever we're doing and find each other when the fire hits. Kathryn uses her command to bolster her self-control, and Buffy helps by shielding her when we're together. Buffy, for her part, won't give in until Kathryn does, out of love and respect. It's worse when we're in the middle of a red alert when it hits. Goddess, by the time we can get together, we're not only suffering from the mating fire, but also from something very like battle lust as well. Kathryn has amazing stamina, let me tell you. She's like the freaking Energizer Bunny. She just keeps going and going and going."

For the first time, Seven realized what it meant to be 'amused'. She smiled slightly as she listened to Willow continue rambling, grateful that they had reached the turbolift before the redhead had begun praising the captain's stamina. "Willow, you are babbling again."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Oh, Goddess, _N'mina_." Buffy panted, gripping the head board in a white-knuckled grip. "I need to touch you."

"I don't think so, beloved." Kathryn chuckled darkly. "Do not move."

They had been back for nearly an hour, and Kathryn had made her move before the door had even closed. Entering in front of the blonde, she had turned and yanked her into a heated kiss almost before she was completely in their quarters. She felt Buffy's surprise, and kept up her pace, bending slightly at the knees so that she could wrap her hands around bare thighs. With deceptive strength, she lifted her mate off of her feet and navigated through the room by memory as Buffy wrapped her legs around her waist and deepened the kiss with a moan.

In the bedroom, Kathryn laid her mate down on the bed and moved her hands to grasp the headboard. "Do not let go." She ordered before kissing her again. As she undressed her, Kathryn kept her lover's attention focused by using their personal bond to give her a taste of what she had planned, using sultry words and erotic mental images. By the time Buffy was naked, she was whimpering in need and making finger shaped imprints in the durable metal that made up the bedframe. Kathryn stroked over her body with feather-light, barely there touches, with firmer pressure in strategic places. The crease between thigh and groin, a rake of blunt nails up the flexing muscles of her abdomen, caresses to the sensitive underside of her breasts. She avoided other places. Circling Buffy's aureole without touching her hard nipples. Caressing the aching flesh between her thighs without so much as a whisper of a stroke to the throbbing nubbin of her clit.

Kathryn looked down at her lover. Buffy was absolutely gorgeous like this. After nearly an hour of her subtle torture, she had her beloved on the verge of begging, and Kathryn reveled in it. Her head was thrown back with her eyes screwed tightly closed and her mouth open as she panted harshly. Her body was straining upwards, desperately searching for a more substantial, consistent touch as she was taken to the brink of the abyss and held there. She was babbling in her mind, the words taking shaped on her lips, but making no sound. Kathryn's smile and the gleam in her eyes couldn't have been more feral than if she'd been a full-blooded S'Terran herself.

Their need flared and cycled between them, feeding off each other. She rose up just long enough to rip off her clothes, then she climbed onto the bed and straddled her mate. She smirked as Buffy growled when she pressed her sex against the flexing stomach muscles.

"Don't move." Kathryn said again, her smile widening as she heard the metal creak again as she tightened her grip.

"_N'mina_!" Buffy groaned.

"Hmm." Kathryn purred as she rocked slowly against the body beneath her. She wondered how much longer Buffy could hold on to her control as she reached between their bodies to push her a little bit further. Using her fingers to gather some of her own essence from Buffy's skin, she pressed them into Buffy's slack mouth. She almost gasped herself as Buffy's lips snapped closed around them and her tongue began making tantalizing forays over her sensitive fingers, cleaning her fluids and swallowing them down with a desperate moan. She was so absorbed in the sensation that she nearly missed the shifting in her lover's body as her control snapped, and just barely caught the hands that were about to grip her waist.

"Ah ah ah." Kathryn admonished. "I thought I told you not to let go."

"Kathryn..." Buffy growled in warning, amber turning more golden as frustration at being denied bled into her need.

"Don't even think about it." The redhead warned. "This is my play, beloved. That is your punishment. Hands off until I give you permission. No climax until I say that you can. I'm going to use your body as my own personal sex toy, and you're going to lay there and take it."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Willow swayed in place, and Seven looked at her in concern. Then, she smiled slightly as the redhead's respiration and breathing increased, and a musky scent filled the air. With a start, she realized that this was what Buffy mean when she said that she could smell arousal. It was an intoxicating scent, indeed.

"Willow, are you all right?" She asked.

"Sure." She answered, her eyes heavy-lidded. "Whatever Kathryn and Buffy are doing is bleeding into our link. I'll be just fine."

"Do you wish to join them?" Seven offered. "I will be fine alone."

"No. Faith and I don't get involved in their power games when they get _this_ intense. This is a side of the captain that she only feels comfortable showing to Buffy. Although, to be honest, I really do think that you'll get a taste of it when you join us. You bring out that side of her as well, especially when you're trying her patience. The two of you just seem to instinctively push all the right buttons."

"What is it like being mated to Kathryn?"

Willow immediately grinned. "That woman is great. She was great in Sunnydale, and she's even better now that she's where she belongs. We get to see a side of her that no one else does. Well, you guys have seen more and more of it since you hang out with us."

"Willow, breathe." Seven admonished gently.

Still smiling, Willow took a breath and leaned back on the bed. "We have so much fun together, Seven. We relax in our quarters or play down in the Esplanade."

Seven relaxed next to the redhead. They had been teaching her not to take everything so seriously, although at the moment, it was only in their company that she felt comfortable enough to do so. Although the Starfleet crew treated her much better than they had before the S'Terrans arrival, many of them still gave her a wide berth.

"She likes to tease and seduce." Willow added. "Everyone thinks that we're the ones doing all the teasing, but it's usually Kathryn getting us all worked up during the day with the thoughts that she sends us."

They talked for a while longer. Seven asking questions and Willow answering them as best as she could. Some time later, Faith found them curled up together, fast asleep. _Oh, yeah,_ Faith thought as she watched them for a moment, _she's gonna fit in just fine._

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Do you want it, beloved?" Kathryn asked, pressing down against her nearly hyperventilating mate.

"Oh, Goddess, yes." Buffy cried, desperately wanting to push back, but not want to take the chance that she would pull away again. She had been on the edge for so long that she needed to climax like she needed to breathe. The throbbing between her legs was so intense, it felt like it was pounding through her entire body. Kathryn had kept her word, bringing herself to climax over and over again using Buffy's body. Rubbing herself over the muscles of her stomach and thighs, using her fingers and tongue, even going so far as to flip her over and use her ass as well.

Through it all, Buffy clenched her teeth and tightened her grip and withstood the onslaught as her mind and senses were swamped with her mate's pleasure. Her body was covered in Kathryn's secretions, and she wished she were a cat and could clean herself with her own tongue. Now, Kathryn was outfitted with her favorite toy and had pounded her through two climaxes of her own before abruptly stopping all movements. No amount of begging, pleading or threatening could make her continue, and Buffy was practically vibrating with need. Then, Kathryn pulled out and spread the globes of her ass, teasing the dark opening with the tip of the toy, and it was taking everything Buffy had to remain still and not impale herself.

Her patience was finally rewarded when Kathryn began pushing in, slow and steady, holding onto her hips when Buffy unconsciously tried to push back.

"You took your punishment like a true champion." Kathryn smiled when Buffy growled at her choice of words. "Now here's your reward." She bottomed out, and began to move at a steady rhythm, reaching around to tease at Buffy's still swollen clit. "Come for me, beloved. I want to hear you scream my name."

Faith, reaching to wake her redhead, dropped to her knees and Willow jackknifed upright, as Buffy's savage climax ripped through the shields between the mated pairs.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

The Queen analyzed the blood samples taken from the crash site. No matter what she tried, she could not identify the properties that made this organic so unique. It was a vexing mystery and an intriguing puzzle at the same time.

The cube was closing in on the Federation starship, and soon she would have the perfection she sought. It occurred to her that Voyager was much farther than they should be given the time they had left the planet, but such a thing was immaterial at the moment.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, the Prime woke to the mouth-watering scent of eggs, bacon, waffles, and the most blessed of all, coffee. Gently untangling herself from her still sleeping mate, she got out of the bed and stretched languidly. Her body was deliciously sore. Although they had wiped themselves down and stripped the sheets off the bed before falling asleep, the heavy scent of sex still filled the room despite the recycled air.

"Oh, good morning, Buffy." Willow said cheerfully as she entered the room with a full tray. "I was just coming to wake you."

"Yeah, B." Faith followed with another tray. "Erin sent food with us. Whatever you guys were doing last night trickled down the common bond, and apparently Michael attacked her like a werewolf during mating season. All the adults are happy as clams cause of you two."

"Glad we could be of service." Buffy smirked as she started eating. "Thanks, by the way. We really needed that to be just the two of us."

"Yeah, we knew that." Faith grunted around a mouthful of food. "She's been winding up tighter and tighter since that whole thing happened. She's more like us than she realizes. Those Terminator wannabes tried to take you away from her, and she needed to restake her claim."

Buffy chuckled. "Sounds about right."

"So what are we going to do today?" Willow asked. "She doesn't get too many days off. We need to do something special."

"For one thing, we're gonna let her sleep. The fact that she hasn't woke up, despite being surrounded by coffee, is a good indication of just how tired she really is. When she wakes up, then we'll see."

___Bridge to the Captain._

Snarling, Buffy jabbed her communicator. "Damn it, Harry, she's asleep. Is it important?"

___Unfortunately, Buffy, it is. There's a Borg cube bearing down on us on an intercept course._

Faith and Willow stared as Buffy's face twisted in a ugly mask of hatred. All over the ship, S'Terrans were instinctively bracing for battle. Even Kathryn was affected by Buffy sudden burst of rage, jerking awake and reaching for her phaser before she even realized that there was no danger.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" She asked groggily.

Her mind was so filled with primal rage that she could barely form a coherent thought. _'They are coming.'_

"What?" Kathryn said, confused. "Who?"

"There's a cube on our tail." Faith answered slowly. "Harry just told us."

"Shit." Kathryn said, coming alert very quickly at that information. "You two get dressed. I'll take care of Buffy. Faith, call the teams together. Willow, get the children to the Esplanade, and all the S'Terrans old enough to fight, get them armed. Voyager, my ship, inform the bridge that I will be there in a moment."

"Okay." "Sure thing, KJ." ******"Yes, Captain."** Everyone answered at the same time.

"Buffy, look at me. Now." Kathryn said to her mate in her strictest Captain's voice. Slowly, blazing golden eyes focused on her. "You have to come back to me. You can not fight like this. If you don't snap out of this, the Borg will overrun the ship. Kill or assimilate everyone. Including me. Including Faith and Willow and Marisol. You have to come back to me now."

Kathryn knew she was exaggerating. With the improved shields, the Borg couldn't just beam over immediately, which gave them the advantage in this upcoming fight, but she knew she had to present the worst possible outcome to reach the raging Prime. Finally, after a few moments, she felt the fury recede little by little as Buffy regained control.

"I'm sorry, Kathryn." Buffy said shakily. "It's just...just..."

"I know, beloved." Kathryn assured her, stroking her jaw comfortingly. "It's all right. Come on, let's get dressed."

"Report!" She snapped as she stepped off the turbolift a few minutes later.

"We've picked them up at the edge of our sensors." Chakotay answered, having been called to duty as well. "They're gaining on us, but slowly."

"Edge of our sensors, hmm." Kathryn said thoughtfully. "That means that they haven't picked us up on their sensors yet. Harry, keep a lock on them. Just before they get into range to see us on their sensors, let us know. Tom, when he does, slow us down to warp 6."

"Captain?" Tom half turned in his seat.

"That's the speed we would be going before our upgrades." She explained. "No need to advertise our new advantages before hand. They're going to catch up with us regardless, but this way, it will be on our terms, and when they do, they will have no reason to think that there's anything different that what they are used to dealing with from us. Always keep the advantage over a superior force as long as possible."

"It's like poker." Buffy added. "Never tip your hand until you're ready to take the pot."

A wave of understanding swept through the younger officers as the more experienced nodded in agreement.

"How did they find us?" Chakotay wondered. "We stayed well out of sensor range back at the planet. They should not have been able to pick up our trail, not unless they were looking for it."

"They were looking for it." Kathryn informed him grimly. "We suspected that this might happen, remember. I briefed you all after we returned. Buffy managed to defeat the assimilation process, and I told you that it was possible that the Queen would come after her."

___How is it that we always seem to pick up the strays that the Borg Queen wants back?_ Chakotay thought to himself as he returned his attention to the readings on his console. ___First Seven of Nine, now Buffy and these S'Terrans. Is Kathryn trying to get us assimilated?_

"Hey, Seven, you okay?" Buffy asked as the rest of the senior staff filed into the briefing after being called to duty. The last time the ex-drone had been confronted with the Collective, she had been drawn back into their hands. Buffy wanted to make sure that didn't happen again.

"I am unsure." Seven responded, their voices low so that the wouldn't be overheard. "I know that she has sent them, but I also know that it highly unlikely that they are after me this time. I am not sure what I am feeling."

"Well, if you start feeling overwhelmed, let me know." Buffy touched her hand gently where no one would notice. "I'm sure Willow and the others can act like some sort of buffer or anchor or something. Even if they're after me, we don't want to take the chance that they can get you as a consolation prize."

It was almost another ten hours before they had to slow down to cover the evidence of their upgraded systems. In that time, Kathryn had made plans with the her senior staff, had made sure that all non-essential personnel was securely in their quarters and every crewmember manning their stations was armed with both a phaser and a bladed weapon. The Borg was going to find them much better prepared than they had been in the past. They had people with crossbows and throwing knives. Now would be the perfect to time to see if these medieval tactics worked against the technologically advanced.

With their reduced speed, it wasn't long before the cube overshadowed them. Kathryn sounded the red alert and directed her people to their necessary stations.

"Captain," Harry spoke up in astonishment. "we're being hailed."

Kathryn glanced at Chakotay, then at Tuvok, before twisting around to nod at Harry.

The viewscreen flicked to show the inside of the cube. Several drones were in the room and after a moment, a holographic image shimmered into view.

"Captain Janeway, we meet again."

Kathryn closed her eyes for a moment as she took firm control of the fury that suddenly rose up in her. "I'd say that it was good to see you again, but why lie?"

The Borg Queen inclined her head slightly as she acknowledged the barb. "I have come across something of interest, and I believe that you may have something to do with it."

"Is that right?" Kathryn sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, looking for all the world like she was chatting with an old friend. In truth, she was both curious and worried. The Borg had never bothered with small talk before "Whatever would make you think that?"

"Where is the organic that resisted assimilation?" The Borg Queen demanded, once more all business. "Give her to me and I will let the rest of your crew go."

"I don't think so." Kathryn smiled coldly. "I take from the Borg, I don't give to them, remember?"

She raised her hand briefly, and Harry cut the link before the Borg Queen could respond. It would most likely throw her off, and give them a few added seconds before she adapted to Kathryn's sudden change in personality.

"Time to see how good these new shields and weapons really are." She said to no one in particular.

A moment later, the cube began firing on the smaller vessel, and Voyager responded salvo for salvo. They did impressive damage to the cube before the drones managed to board. The enhanced sensors, and Voyager's own sentience, kept their weapons variance cycling along with the cube's shields, and before the Borg managed to adapt their transporters to Voyager's shields, they had left large gaping holes in the attacking vessel.

******"Captain, we are being boarded."** Voyager announced.

"All hands, prepare to engage." Kathryn announced, pulling a short sword from behind her seat as a half dozen drones materialized on the bridge.

___Cut off the machine arm as soon as you can. _Buffy shouted over the communicator. ___That's where the assimilation wires are. Hell, cut them both off just to be sure._

The drone adapted to the phasers as expected, but their shields were useless against solid projectile weapons. Drones all over the ship fell to crossbow bolts and were cut down with knives thrown from the rafters in stations like the engine room. Buffy went after the invaders like an enraged wildcat, her scythe and dagger doing as much damage now as it had back on the planet. She swept through the deck like an angel of death, cutting down the monstrosities threatening her territory with a ferocity that caught even the Klingon by surprise.

The Starfleet crew, for their parts, were almost frozen in shock as they watched the S'Terrans fight. Even those watching the young ones on Deck 16, took care to talk softly around the tense young ones who were armed and circling the others protectively.

Buffy knew immediately when Kathryn began to get overwhelmed. Felt it in her chest and mind like a vise grip, and her mind clouded with new fury. Without a backward glance, she kicked body parts out of the way as she ran for the turbolift, her team at her back, and growled out for the bridge.

___'Faith, ____Willow____, make sure that everyone keeps their mouths closed.' _Buffy ordered her mates. ___'These things are connected to the Queen. What they see and hear, she sees and hears, and I want her to keep thinking that I'm one of a kind for as long as possible.'_

The moment the doors slid open, Buffy threw her dagger with all of her strength, catching the drone fighting Kathryn in the mechanical hand that was reaching for her mate's neck. Her presence was unmistakable, and even the drones paused and shuddered as her fury washed over them. The hesitation was enough for her team to take them out before they could regroup.

She turned glowing eyes to Harry. "Open a channel to that bitch. The rest of you, keep your mouths shut." She lifted her scythe to point at Chakotay, who was obviously about to protest. "One word, and I'll cut your tongue out."

She nodded to Harry, who swallowed hard and looked to the captain. Kathryn nodded curtly, watching her mate closely as she strode across the bridge to the drone that was clutching at her dagger. She gripped the cybernetic hand, holding it effortlessly as she ripped her dagger out. A moment later, the viewscreen showed the inside of the cube once again. Another heartbeat, and they were looking at the Queen once more.

"What do you want with me?" Buffy demanded.

"I will add your perfection to my own."

Buffy's brow rose, then, to the astonishment of everyone of the bridge except her mate, she ___laughed. _"Perfection? You call these tin-man, Terminator wanna-bes perfection? Have you been drinking battery acid or something? What were you, some uber ugly mega-nerd that got talked about all the time and never had a date?"

"How dare you!"

The crew looked even more shocked. Even Kathryn's mouth fell open this time. Buffy had gotten a rise out of the Queen, and she was actually expressing ___emotion_.

"How dare I?" Buffy snarled back. "You come here, attack us for no reason, then get all bitchy when you lose. That's the problem with you Big Bads, you never seem to learn that no matter how strong you are, there's always, always gonna be someone stronger. In this case, that someone just happens to be me."

She rammed her blade into the cybernetic hand and jerked in down, splitting the machinery. Slipping the knife into her coat, she reached into the gaping hole and ripped out the assimilation tubules. "These things won't get the better of me. No one controls me, understand? No one."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

"Come on, Jenn." The young woman beside her nudged. "I know you were with the captain's group in the VIP section the other night. You've got to tell me _everything_!"

Jennifer Delaney exchanged a glance with her twin before answering. "I don't think so, Connie. We were invited because they felt that they could trust us, and we're not about to abuse that trust."

"Aww, c'mon!" Connie Tolger looked over at Megan. "Meg?"

The other Delaney twin just shook her head.

"I thought we were friends?" Tolger pouted. She'd been so sure that she could get that info from the twins. She wanted it to be the one that fed it to the gossip mill. Everyone was slavering for a hint of what the captain had been like in there. "Friend's share."

"We are friends." Jenny said. "But we're their friends too. You wouldn't want us telling them _your_ secrets, would you?"

Now, Tolger grinned. "I don't have any secrets."

Megan sighed and finally entered the conversation. "We know. Why on Earth did you have to seduce Tom Paris? He had something really good going with Lt. Torres."

Connie sighed theatrically, obviously feeling no remorse over her role in the breakup of the senior officers. She'd always felt that if she could lure someone from their Significant Other's bed, male or female, she wasn't picky, then they deserved what they got. "He just looked so good in that Captain Proton outfit. I merely made the proposition. He chose to accept it. Speaking of good-looking, have you guys taken a good look at those S'Terrans. Those men and the women are _gorgeous_."

The twins had to agree. The S'Terrans were definitely a race of beautiful people.

"I also heard that they were quite 'active' after the fight."

Megan and Jenny exchanged another look, this time accompanied by a secret smile, unnoticed by their friend. It had been two days since the attack by the Borg, where the Voyager crew had successfully fought them off for the first time ever, and things were finally getting back to normal. The Delaneys, frequent visitors to deck 17 because of their friendships with Faith and Willow, as well as their work in Willow's lab, knew firsthand the effects that fighting had on the S'Terrans. After the red alert had ended, and Faith had headed for her mate, they had found themselves heading down there, looking for the two that they had hooked up with at the club that night. Jenny had barely made it into Ian's room before she found herself lifted off her feet and kissed witless. Megan, however, had found Danáe kissing one of the other S'Terran women, and was about to back out of the room when she suddenly looked up and locked glowing eyes on the human. Megan had felt her sex clench at the look of hunger in Danáe's face as she held out a hand and said one simple word. "Come."

The sisters didn't see each other again for several hours, but they could sense each others intense pleasure through the bond that they shared as twins.

"Yes, I'm sure they were." Megan said blandly, no hints of where their thoughts had drifted in her voice. Jenny stayed wisely silent.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"It's time, Kathryn. No more stalling." Buffy growled, holding her mate down on their bed. It had been two days, and still the fire burned. Faith and Willow, their battle lust already sated, watched from their positions on the bed as Buffy continued to thrust the phallus into her lover. "You are not the only one who needs her."

"I know, love." Kathryn panted, shuddering as yet another orgasm rolled through her. It still wasn't enough, and they all knew it. She needed Seven of Nine. They all did. The longer she held off, the more intense the need became, and it had reached the point where even Faith and Willow were becoming truly affected.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. She didn't think Kathryn truly understood. Time to give her something else to consider. _'Do you know why she wears the bio-suits, N'mina?'_ Kathryn spasmed at the thought of Seven's form-fitting outfits. Buffy groaned at the sensation. _'It's because her skin is sensitive to external stimulation, especially around her implants. I know because I can still feel where my own implants used to be. It is even more so now, with the implants melded so completely into her flesh, thanks to Dawn. She even has feeling in her cybernetic hand now. She's learned to adapt to those sensations, but, if you touch her just right, she can't help but react.'_

"Oh, God!" Kathryn cried, throwing her head back as she exploded. Buffy groaned and dropped her head between her mate's breasts as she felt every spasm through the toy. Releasing Kathryn's hands, she gripped the redhead's hips and began pounding harder into her, unable to help herself, until her own release rushed through her with an agonized whimper.

The fire inside no longer raged, but still they burned.

"**Captain, it is now 0700 hours."**

"Thank you, my ship." Kathryn panted. She smoothed back damp hair from Buffy's face when she finally lifted her head. "I know that we need her, beloved. I know that she is ready. It's convincing myself that this is right for her that's the problem."

"Kathryn, she needs this as much as we do." Buffy told her, gently lifting and pulling out of her mate. She detached the toy and set it back in its container to be cleaned and sterilized for the next time. "Probably even more. She might have been born human, but she isn't anymore. Just like I haven't been completely human since I was Called, she hasn't been since she was assimilated so young. She grew up Borg, and that part of her is crying out for the connection of others. She keeps being drawn back to the Queen because she needs that connection, not because she wants to be a drone again."

"She's right, Kathryn." Willow said. "It's one of the reasons that she's so comfortable with us." Kathryn knew that she was referring to the S'Terrans as a whole, not just the ones in the room. "And the main reason she accepted quarters on our deck. That part of her senses the common bond between us, and it soothes her."

"I don't understand." Kathryn was shocked, and a little dismayed. "Why didn't she say anything?"

"What would be the point?" Faith asked softly. "Short of giving her back to those metal-heads, there was nothing that you could do 'bout it except feel guilty." Faith shrugged. "She was coping. Slowly, yeah, but she was doing it."

Kathryn thought about what her mates had told her through her shift, thanking Kahless that it was a quiet and uneventful one. All this time, and she had never suspected that Seven was suffering the silence, in silence. Just thinking about it was enough to make her head and heart hurt. She was going to have to talk to Seven after alpha shift ended.

'_Take her down to the Aeroshuttle.'_ Buffy suggested. _'That's where we went last time.'_

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Jenny and Megan Delaney, may I have a word with you." Seven asked, walking over to stand between their stations.

"Sure, Seven, what's up?" Jenny asked.

"I wish to thank you for your discretion earlier this morning." Seven informed them. "I was in the mess hall for my daily nutritional supplement and overheard your conversation with Crewman Tolger. I wish you to know that I am 'happy' to know that Faith and Willow's trust in you was well placed."

The sisters blushed. A comment like that, Seven's respect, was something that they knew was rarely given. It made them feel really good.

"Thanks, Seven." Megan finally said. "That means a lot to us."

Seven nodded curtly, then returned to her own station. The twins looked at each other, then returned to their work with a smile. It was quiet and peaceful for the duration of their shift. It was one of their few uneventful periods, and the crew was grateful to whatever deity had grated it to them. Near the end of their shift, Seven could hear the sisters speaking quietly to one another, obviously trying to decide to ask her something.

"Ask her!" Jenn said.

"You ask her!"

"Megan!!"

"Fine!" Megan finally snapped, much to Seven's private amusement. "Hey, Seven, we're heading to the mess hall for dinner after the shift is over. Would you like to join us?"

Before Seven could answer, she was hailed by the captain.

"Yes, Captain?"

_Seven, I was wondering if you had some time after your shift? _Kathryn asked. _There is something that I wish to speak with you about._

Seven looked at the Delaney twins, considering the merits of informing the captain that she had plans, but Jenny and Megan quickly assured her that they could go another time. "Yes, Captain, I am free."

At the end of the shift, the twins saw the Captain coming down the hall just as they left the Astrometrics lab. As usual, they greet her as she approached and were pleased when she responded with more warmth in the voice than she ever had before. In the lab, Kathryn watched as her Borg finished a last set of complicated equations. Smiling softly, she eyes followed the sleek lines of her body, from the curve of her neck to her torso and down those endlessly long legs. She licked her lips unconsciously as she felt her body heat up yet again.

"You wished to speak with me, Captain?" Seven asked, finally turning to face the redhead. She knew that Kathryn was aroused. She could read it in her respiration, quickened pulse and the scent in the air. Her own body responded with almost frightening quickness.

"Yes, I do, but not here." Kathryn took a deep breath. "Buffy said that you enjoyed the privacy of the Aeroshuttle, so why don't we talk there."

"Very well."

They walked through the ship speaking of random things, no one paying them any attention since the crew was long accustomed to the sight of the two of them walking and talking together. When the reached the Aeroshuttle, Kathryn took a seat and looked at her young friend.

"Seven, why didn't you tell me that you were still suffering the effects of being cut off from the Collective."

If she surprised Seven, then the Borg didn't show it. "There was no point. It is like when a telepath suddenly goes mentally deaf. The silence within me is sometimes nearly unbearable. Unlike Locutus, who had been assimilated as an adult, all of the components that made him Borg could be removed. It is not the same for me. The part of me that is still Borg, the part of me that can still connect to the Collective constantly reaches for the connection, but I do not wish to become a drone again, therefore I resist. There is nothing that can be done to assist me with this. When the pull of the Collective becomes difficult to resist, it helps that I can sense the common bond between the S'Terrans, even if I cannot join it. The silence is not quite so loud anymore. You did not know what the effects of your action would cause, and I was aware of this."

Kathryn was startled again. "Why didn't you say something before, Seven? Tuvok is a telepath as well. He could have helped."

Seven shook her head. "No, he could not. He is not strong enough, and he must be touching me to utilize his gifts, which would be inefficient. Also, he would have either told you and caused you to feel guilty, or agreed with Commander Chakotay that I was a security risk, or both. I could not take such a chance. You, Kathryn, are all that keeps me from returning to the Collective."

Kathryn was floored. The things that she was discovering about herself and her crew this time around were mind-boggling. It explained so many things about her young friend. No matter how much progress Seven had made in her first timeline, she had constantly been drawn back to the Collective. Before they had reached Earth, Katherine had fought the Borg twice more to retrieve the blonde. She realized now that, in a way, the mating would protect Seven from the Borg, better than anything else she'd ever tried.

"I wish you had told me, Seven, but I understand why you didn't." Kathryn said before falling silent. Seven remained silent as she thought. Finally, Kathryn sighed. "Seven, do you _really_ understand what it would mean if you were mated to us? I mean the full scope of what it would happen to you and what it would mean to all of us."

Seven then did something truly out of character. She crossed the room to where Kathryn sat and knelt before her. "I do. I know that it would tie me irrevocably to you and the others. I also know, however, that you are all that I have ever wanted. I am not as naive as you think that I am. I have not told you this, but I retain all the knowledge that was ever assimilated while I was a drone, not merely what is considered relevant by the Queen. Adjuncts are largely used for storage, which is why the storage capacity of my cortical node is so massive. Although they were not my emotions, I do know what love feels like, and it has helped me realize that what I feel for you truly _is_ love, not merely the gratitude that you fear it is. I do know the difference."

Kathryn hesitated for a moment longer, then reached out to release the bun at the back of Seven's head and run her fingers through the unraveling length of silky blonde hair. "Although a large part of me is glad that this will help protect you from the Collective, I want you to know that that's not why I'm doing this. I love you, Seven. In this life, and my previous one, I have always loved you."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

The smile on Seven of Nine's face at the declaration of love could have illuminated the entire quadrant. Unable to help herself, Kathryn smiled back as she closed the remaining distance between them to kiss those perfect lips. She moaned slightly as her tongue darted inside, immediately craving more of the sweet taste of her Borg. It was everything that she'd imagined it would be. She smiled inside when she felt Seven suddenly grip the arms of her seat, and deepened the kiss, exploring the younger woman's mouth and, with teasing little flicks, coaxed Seven into returning the favor.

She moaned again, deeper this time, when Seven suddenly surged forward, cupping the back of Kathryn's head with her human hand and proceeded to kiss her beloved captain with all the passion that she'd been suppressing since seeing Kathryn and Buffy in the Delta Flyer. Placing her cybernetic hand at the small of Kathryn's back, she pulled the redhead off the seat to straddle her lap, taking control of the kiss so quickly that Kathryn could nothing more than hold on.

The woman in Kathryn was loving the turn the situation had taken. The captain part of her personality needed control, as she had so delightfully demonstrated during Buffy's 'punishment' and as she demonstrated every day while they traveled through the Delta Quadrant, but the woman in her reveled in the knowledge that her chosen lovers were so much stronger than she was. It was the knowledge that they could take that control even when she couldn't give it to them. Her intense personality couldn't run roughshod over these women, and she knew it. The woman in her knew it, the captain in her knew, and more importantly, the women in question knew it. Even B'Elanna had proven strong enough to stand toe to toe with her when the had situation required it.

Even so, this was _her_ mating. She was _N'mina_, and she held the control in the mating group, co-equal to Buffy. It would not be wise to allow Seven that privilege during her initiation. Later, however, was a whole other story. She broke the kiss, panting harshly, and looked into Seven's eyes. "Slow down, Seven. We have all the time in the world."

"Kathryn, please." Seven whispered.

"Patience." Kathryn murmured, shivering at the need in her voice and running the fingers gently around the implant of her eye. She smiled when Seven shuddered in reaction. Her fingers drifted down to stroke over the implant at her jaw next, and Seven shivered. "How does this come off?"

"There is a clasp at the back of my neck that releases the pressure in the biosuit." Seven rasped, trying to regulate her breathing.

Teasing fingers whispered around her neck until they found the clasp, and with a faint sound, the biosuit loosened and billowed slightly. Seven released her so that she could pull the suit down. She closed her eyes in trepidation, worried about Kathryn's reaction to her body implants. Her fears turned out to be groundless, however, as Kathryn nearly hummed in pleasure as her fingertips caressed the mix of steel and flesh. Unable to help herself, Seven arched into the caress, gasping as new sensations flared through her and settled between her legs.

"How sensitive are these, my Borg?" Kathryn asked, her voice low and sultry. "Will you come for me if I use my tongue to tease you where your implant melds into your skin?"

Seven was suddenly on the verge of just that from the mere thought. Her vocal faculties failed her as she tried to express what she was feeling. All she could manage was a moan that sounded uncomfortably desperate. Suddenly, much to her dismay, Kathryn stood.

"Not to worry, darling." Kathryn reassured her in response to her expression. "Just have to get out of these clothes. You should, as well."

Kathryn almost smiled when Seven practically leapt to her feet to disrobe. She, herself, undressed at a calmer pace, keenly aware of Seven's intense gaze on every inch of flesh revealed. Once she was finally naked, she directed Seven back to her kneeling position and knelt behind her, pausing only to spread Seven's knees slightly apart.

"What are you doing, Kathryn?" Seven asked, curious and more than a little aroused.

Kathryn simply smiled before kissing her softly on the side of her neck. Then, before Seven could process the fleeting caress, she bit down firmly on the sensitive bit of flesh, though not hard enough to break skin. The response was immediate, as Seven reached up to grasp Kathryn head and held her close. Her surprised cry echoed through the empty room. Kathryn put her hands on the ex-drone's hips, one lightly caressing the abdominal implant as the other teased the silky skin between her legs.

"Do you feel it, Seven?" She whispered. "Do you feel that heat settled low in you belly?" Seven managed a shaky nod. "That is what we feel, all the time. That low burn, ready to flare into a wildfire at a moment's notice." She used her tongue to trace the edge of the implant at Seven's jaw. Seven shuddered and Kathryn's fingers were suddenly drenched. "In the middle of alpha shift, shore leave, or even a red alert, the need will flare and it will be all we can do not to drop what we're doing and strip our mates wherever we can find them."

"Kathryn, please!"

Kathryn smirked, and finally relented. Moving both hands at the same time, she cupped a plump breast in one hand and pressed her slim fingers into the warm cavern of her sex with the other. _Buffy was right, _she thought as she watched the lithe body undulating against her,_ the view from this angle is absolutely mouthwatering._ She pushed Seven harder, pinching her nipple firmly, before moving down to trace the outer edge of her abdominal implant as she pressed her thumb into the hard clit. Seven came with a choked scream, and Kathryn's eyes drifted closed at the feel of those inner muscles spasming around her fingers. Despite the pounding between her legs, she didn't even try to find her own relief, knowing full well that she wouldn't achieve climax without the mating bite.

She kept her touch soothing as Seven recovered. She coaxed Seven to turn around and pulled her down as she lay back. She ran her fingers through the soft blonde hair, much like she tended to do with Buffy, as Seven buried her face in Kathryn's neck. She smiled when she felt her Borg began to press soft kisses on her throat, making her way down until she could take a hard nipple in her mouth and suckle. Kathryn gasped and arched into the caress, her eyes closed as the need burned hot and bright. It was beginning to get painful for the redhead and, in desperation, she maneuvered their legs until they were pressing against each other.

"Kathryn." Seven whimpered.

"Seven, you have to make the bite first." Kathryn forced through gritted teeth. "Hard enough to break the skin. You must taste my blood."

"Where?"

"Wherever you like, as long as it isn't on Buffy's."

Seven looked down at her beloved captain, studying her with darkened, heavy-lidded eyes as she tried to determined where she wanted to make her mark. Finally, she leaned down and ran her tongue over the flexing muscle of Kathryn's right bicep that seemed to be calling to her. She bit down hard, breaking the skin and getting the first taste of the metallic tang of Kathryn's blood on her tongue. Her eyes widened as she felt everything that she was react. Her body exploded in a climax so intense, she sensed her nanoprobes go temporarily inert at the overload of sensation. As she fell into the darkness, she heard Kathryn's scream of release join her own.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Buffy and Willow were in the Esplanade, spending some quality best-friend time together with the sensations hit. They hit Buffy harder, due to both her connection to Kathryn and the fire still simmering in her blood. Seven was hers as much as she was her mate's, and Buffy was more than ready for the claiming to be complete. She wanted her turn. She wasn't even aware of when she started growling, but Willow was. She felt those sub-sonic vibrations deep inside and shivered deliciously. The witches turned S'Terran might not be as primal as the slayers turned S'Terrans, but they damn sure reacted to it just fine. Grabbing Buffy's hand, she dragged the Prime to a more isolated spot in the Esplanade. As soon as she knew that they were relatively hidden, she leaned back against a tree and pulled Buffy against her, kissing her fiercely.

Buffy moaned and grabbed hold of Willow's ass and lifted her off of her feet. Willow immediately wrapped her legs around slim hips, and whimpered slightly when Buffy pressed her blunt nails into her bite mark teasingly. Gathering her insatiable mate close, Buffy carried her to a more comfortable spot and laid her down in the soft grass. Despite the need pounding through her, she took the redhead with delicious, slow intensity, drawing the pleasure out until Willow was whimpering in need. Just before she pushed Willow over the edge, her gaze swept up, hot and glowing, to pin the slack-jawed Klingon where she stood, wide-eyed in shocked lust.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"C'mon, Laren, stop holding back." Faith growled as she twisted aside to avoid a sharp elbow jab. "I wanna see some action!"

Laren grinned as she suddenly picked up the pace. It wasn't often that she allowed herself to fight full out, even against B'Elanna. It was against both her nature and her training to reveal the extent of her abilities. At the moment, the only people that knew the full extent of what she was capable of was Tuvok and Captain Janeway. For some reason, however, she felt no such reservation with the S'Terrans. She was currently squaring off against Faith, Ian and two other younger S'Terrans, helping Faith and Danáe retrain the girls to facing creatures more dedicated to the battle than the demons that they were accustomed to taking the first available chance to break and run.

As Slayers, the creatures that they fought tended to run as soon as they could unless it was an apocalypse. The creatures that existed here weren't quite so cowardly. They wanted to break some of the older girls of the flippancy that they had adopted because of the advantages their strength, speed and the Slayer reputation had given them. The creatures here wouldn't do that, and simply telling them so wouldn't cut it. So, she was having Laren take them all on, because she knew that, while Laren might not be as strong or as fast, her skills were enough that she would do enough damage to get the message through, simply because she wouldn't stop until either they were unconscious, or she was.

When the sensations from the claiming hit her, Laren had just managed to kick her in the back and send her flying with a move that she'd never used before. Before she could control herself, her instincts took over, reacting to the pain, and the sudden arousal. And the scent of Laren's blood on the air. With a sudden growl, she rolled through the blow until she was back on her feet. Moving almost too fast for anyone to see, she rushed Laren, and Danáe barely managed to pull the others out of her path before Faith had Laren against the arena fence, kissing her so hard that the taller woman was nearly bending over backwards.

Danáe was about to intervene, knowing that even Faith wouldn't want to claim a mate in such a way, when the Alpha suddenly wrenched herself away. The Delaneys, watching from the sidelines, immediately climbed over the fence and rushed to her side, ignoring the shouts of warning. Faith was their best friend, and they knew without a doubt that she'd never hurt either of them.

"Faith?" Jennifer reached her first. "What's wrong, honey?"

"KJ's claiming Seven." Faith gasped out. "Lost it for a minute there."

Megan looked back at Ro Laren, who was still looking shell-shocked, then turned back to the brunette. "She's one of your mates, isn't she?"

Faith simply nodded, too wound up to make any kind of sexually-charged, smart assed remark. She groaned out loud when sensations from her other mates hit her as well. It was taking everything she had not to drag the Bajoran into the nearest empty building or room and fuck her silly, with or without the claiming. "Get me out of here."

They walked Faith out of the Holodeck and away from Laren, keeping their touch light but firm, and grounding her against the need take Laren where she stood, regardless of their audience. The connection that had developed between the three women had surprised everyone, except Willow and Buffy, who recognized their kindred spirits. They were just like Faith, but without the traumatic childhood baggage or Slayer personality. They were well aware of their reputation aboard the small starship, but didn't particularly care. They had overactive libidos, but they were very selective in who they slept with. Unlike Connie Tolger, who did what she did simply because she could, they refused to dally with anyone even _rumored_ to be involved. Voyager, their home for an unknown number of years, was simply way too small for the hostile situations that could arise from actions like that. Their nearly insatiable S'Terran bedmates suited them just fine.

"Where are they, Faith?" Megan asked urgently as the entered the turbolift, but Faith couldn't answer. She was slumped against the wall with her eyes closed, her body shuddering in response to the fresh waves of pleasure and arousal that rolled through her.

"**Faith, the Prime has requested that you join them in the Esplanade."** Voyager announced suddenly.

"Yes!" Faith nearly shouted. The twins exhaled in relief when she vanished in a sparkle of blue lights.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Buffy looked up at the hum of the transporter and watched as Faith appeared before them. She was idly teasing Willow, slowly rebuilding the heat as the redhead undulated sensually next to her. She played too brief touches over Willow's body, knowing what her best friend wanted, but not inclined to give it to her just yet. Faith, however, had no such reserve. The moment she materialized fully, she dropped to her knees between the redhead's thighs and leaned over to take her mouth in a fierce kiss.

Buffy smiled and allowed her touches to taper off as Faith took over. She loved watching them together. Although Willow's aggression in bed didn't surprise her much, she'd lived with Willow and Tara when they were together after all, Faith's random demonstrations of gentleness most certainly did. Now was one such occasion, as the brunette worshipped her mate's body with gentle kisses and light nibbles, holding her down when she tried to quicken the pace. Finally, Willow accepted the pace that Faith set, and Buffy watched lay on her side with her head propped up on her hand as she watched the beautiful dance of passion play out as they moved together so flawlessly. In her mind, she dropped the shields that she had erected when she'd felt Kathryn's intentions. She had wanted her _N'mina_ to experience the pleasure of the claiming without drawing her into it, letting it just be Kathryn and Seven alone. Now that Seven's initiation was complete, it would be a couple of hours before she recovered to finish the mating. The Borg's changes would not take nearly as long as Kathryn because she was already so enhanced in strength and senses, but it would still take some time.

'_Thank you, beloved.'_ Kathryn said, appreciating the gift that Buffy had given her.

'_Anything for you, N'mina.'_ Buffy answered. _'I know how much she means to you, remember. It was the least that I could do.'_

As they talked, Buffy's sex clenched as Willow suddenly bucked and shoved her fist in her mouth to muffle her cry as her body rippled with the force of her climax. Faith's face was buried between her thighs and her arms were wrapped around her thighs and Buffy knew, quite intimately in fact, just how wicked that tongue could be when she was inspired.

'_What are you doing?'_ Kathryn asked, feeling the backwash of Buffy's reaction.

'_Watching Willow and Faith.'_ Buffy answered, distracted. As she was watching, her hand had drifted down to slide through the wetness between her own thighs.

'_Seems like you're doing a little more than that.'_ Kathryn responded, sounding amused. A moment later, Buffy gasped and her eyes drifted closed at the ghostly sensations of Kathryn's mouth closing over her hard nipple and nibbling. The sensation was made even more intense with the fact that Buffy was lying on her stomach. _'Do you feel that?'_

"Yes!" Buffy groaned, so caught up that she answered out loud.

'_Good.'_ Then Kathryn proceeded to use their connection to take her mate despite the distance between them, and soon Buffy's low moans matched her friend's.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

B'Elanna Torres had never regretted her voyeuristic tendencies before now. She had brought herself to climax twice already, and she _still_ couldn't get the images out of her head. She had originally gone to the Esplanade looking for Willow, to go over some calculations for one of the projects that they were working on, but when she'd caught the scents and sounds of what they were doing, she hadn't been able to help herself from at least catching a small glimpse. She had discovered her fetish for watching women together when she'd caught her first girlfriend cheating on her. She honestly had no problems with polygamous relationships. She'd been in several herself. She was hot-blooded, and she knew it, but if someone expected fidelity from her, then she damn sure expected the same in return. As pissed as she'd been, she'd also been aroused enough watching them to wait until they'd finished before kicking both of their asses.

She'd only meant to watch for a minute or two, they were her friends after all, but the controlled power that she'd seen in the Prime's movements had left her dumbstruck and hotter than Grethor's fires. Then, when Buffy had looked up at her, she swore she felt the heat of that gaze shoot directly between her legs. She'd barely held back the sudden urge to strip and join them. She had finally managed to force enough strength back into her legs to take off when Buffy smirked at her and licked her lips clean of the juices of the redhead panting beneath her. Leaving the Esplanade in a rush, she'd ignored everyone and gone straight to her quarters for some much needed relief.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Ro Laren sat on one of the chairs in the Observation Deck, nursing a glass of Tzartak Aperitif and trying to think. She couldn't get her mind off the incident that had happened between Faith and herself in the Holodeck. She unconsciously licked her lips, still tasting the kiss and feeling the pressure of those full lips against her own. She had wanted Faith before, but now, if felt like more than that. She sighed as she forced herself to face the truth. It _was_ more than that. Megan and Jennifer Delaney had still been in the turbolift when it had returned to deck 17 without Faith, and stayed inside, obviously wanting to talk to her and willing to wait until she accepted the inevitable and joined them. Not sure what they wanted, their first question threw her completely off track.

"Do you taste it?" Megan had asked.

It had taken her a few minutes to realize what she was talking about, even as she had automatically licked her lips. Megan just shook her head while Jenny grinned. "Delicious, isn't it? I remember the first time I tasted it with Danáe. All I wanted to do was keep kissing her and tasting it for the rest of my life. Do you know what it means?"

Laren had sighed and nodded. How could she not know, being so close to the Prime and _all_ of her mates? With a sympathetic smile, Megan had requested the turbolift to the Observation Deck. Although few knew it, Laren was a favorite playmate of the twins. Her endurance was often enough to wear them both out in the same night if she was feeling particularly frisky herself.

"We know you have problems with trust and relationships," Jenny said, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder as she stared out at the shifting blue of the warp bubble. "but Faith is like a sister to us. If you can't accept the mating, please let her down gently."

That had been over an hour ago and, much to her consternation, she still didn't know what she was going to do.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Buffy walked into the room just as Seven of Nine was beginning to stir, spotting Kathryn at Seven's workstation.

"Hello, beloved." Kathryn set aside the report that she had been reading. Voyager had transported them to Seven's quarters after they had passed out. When Kathryn recovered, the first thing she'd done was make sure that Seven was comfortable before replicating herself a cup of coffee and accessing a few reports that she needed to read. "I expected you some time ago."

"I had to recover from that little ambush." Buffy smirked. She glanced around. "One of these days I want to make love to you in the Aeroshuttle while the hull is transparent."

"Is that right?" Kathryn chuckled.

Buffy tipped her head back and kissed her mate fiercely. "That was a nice little trick. I'll have to try it sometime."

"Just as long as it's not during a red alert or while I'm on duty."

"Kathryn?" They both looked over to see Seven push herself up.

Kathryn's eyes warmed as she took in the tousled beauty. Buffy, however, was transfixed by the lushly perfect figure. Her mouth went dry with lust, and she had a true Xander moment where all she could focus on was the body before her. She remained frozen in place as Kathryn went over to the taller blonde.

"How are you feeling, my Borg?"

Seven blinked. Kathryn made the designation, which was usually said in the context of a vile curse, sound like a tender endearment. "I am not sure." She finally answered. "I now understand what Willow tried to explain to me about the mating fire."

Climbing onto the bed, Kathryn straddled her newest mate. She kissed her softly, tangling her fingers in silky blonde hair. Seven, unable to adapt to the fire burning in her gut, wrapped her human hand around Kathryn's head and took control of the kiss, deepening it until Kathryn let out an involuntary moan. Buffy watched, the burning flaring again in her own belly. She stripped, knowing that she wouldn't be able to keep herself from joining them this time. She climbed behind Kathryn, and proceeded to remove the shirt that she had replicated so that she could work. Seven's cybernetic hand was underneath the shirt, carefully placed in the small of the redhead's back, holding her in place as she deepened the kiss further.

"Oh, God, Seven." Kathryn broke the kiss, breathing hard. She was about to speak again, when Seven nipped the skin at the hollow of her throat, just as Buffy cupped her breasts and firmly pinched both nipples. "Ahh, Buffy!"

Sandwiched between the two blondes was a scene out of Kathryn's wildest fantasies, and she was nearly hyperventilating with need. Her entire body was throbbing, and she shifted, looking for relief. "Are you ready, baby?" Buffy whispered in her ear.

"Yes." Kathryn hissed.

Looking over Kathryn's shoulder, she met Seven's eyes as the ex-drone bared her throat to her beloved Captain. Kathryn looked down at her, pure love in her eyes. Buffy reached down with one hand and, without any further teasing, pushed two fingers deep into their newest mate, describing to Kathryn exactly how she felt around her fingers as the cerulean eyes fluttered closed with a moan. Kathryn glanced down, the visual stimulation affecting almost like a physical touch.

"Claim her, _N'mina._" Buffy said softly. "You know that she can't come without it, and she's _so_ ready. She's clamped down so tightly that I can barely move."

It was too much. Without warning, Kathryn swooped down and sank her teeth into the hollow of Seven's throat. The mating bond complete, the sensations swept through them all, rendering Seven and Kathryn unconscious once more and leaving the others in panting heaps.

"Voyager, can you transport Willow and Faith to us, please?" Buffy requested, shifting her mates into more comfortable positions. Buffy looked at them all, before settling next to her _N'mina_. _We're going to need to move to a bigger bed_ she thought contentedly as she drifted into sleep with the others _and a room with showers._


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

The Borg Queen studied the data collected from the battle with the starship and her captain. It still confounded her how that small, insignificant organic managed to defeat her time and time again. If her drones were capable of thinking for themselves, she knew that she would have been worried about keeping hold of her power since someone so small managed to stand up and be victorious over and over. Now, as she hung from the thick black cables near the ceiling of the central chamber of the Queen's Cube, she focused solely on that data. There were discrepancies between was she already knew and what she was studying. It seemed as though Voyager's travel through the strange nebula that had been outside of her space had changed both the ship and it's crew.

It had been much more difficult to adapt to their shield variances to beam aboard the vessel, and nearly impossible to adapt to the weapons fire of the small ship. The weapons fire had become more powerful and rotated between frequencies at completely random intervals, and never firing at the same trajectory. Once on board, the battle had become a little more 'normal', until the crew and the strange passengers began using archaic bladed weapons against the drones. The Borg shielding was designed to absorb energy, and had stood no chance against weapons that had not been used by most spacefaring races in centuries. Internal scans of the vessel had revealed that there were also more decks that there had been previously, including a blank space where the scans did not penetrate. She notated that in their next confrontation, a drone would need to 'connect' with the ship so that she could acquire complete records of these changes. She had noticed that even the metal of her youngest adjunct had been altered. Besides the appearance of her implants melded into her flesh, the connection to her errant drone was no longer as strong as it should be. It was becoming difficult to connect with her, even during her regeneration cycle.

She looked at the blood analysis as it scrolled next to a still image of the organic that she now wanted. She still could not identify the unknown properties of the genetic code. There was nothing like it in her vast databanks. If this species had been hidden within that nebula, then she wanted it even more. She suspected that the organic had come from the landmass that had been within the nebula, but when the nebula dissipated, the landmass had vanished with it. She speculated that the strangers that had fought alongside the Voyager crew had also come from the nebula, and calculated the odds of one having the ability to do what the other did. Then she dismissed it. She wanted _that _organic. She had sensed the female's power as her drones had reacted to her presence when she had entered the bridge. Besides, not only had it defeated the assimilation process, but its insolence needed to be addressed.

She set her Cube on a course for the starship. Taking into account the strength of body and mind of the organic that she wanted, she deducted that she would have to perform the assimilation herself, and use the full weight of the Borg to subsume her will.

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

Buffy sat in one of the few chairs as she watched her mates sleep. Even Seven rested comfortably, nestled between Kathryn and Faith. Willow had left a little while ago, dressed comfortably for her day with Celes Tal, the Ensign from the Astrometrics lab that she'd had her eye on for the last few weeks.

She smiled, the feeling of happiness and contentment warming her heart more and more frequently. She glanced out of the window as she spared a thought for her sister, but knew that she was out there somewhere, doing what she was supposed to be doing. She still missed her fiercely, but knowing that she was safe and where she belonged made all the difference.

'_What are you thinking about so hard, beloved?'_ Kathryn asked, her mental voice sounding adorably sleepy.

She looked back to see her mate climb out bed, unashamed of her nudity, and pad across the room to kiss her softly before entering the ensuite. After several heated rounds of lovemaking, the fire flaring unmercifully through their new mate, Voyager had been kind enough to transport them to their own, much bigger bed in Kathryn's quarters. Seven had completed the bonding into the whole group with her usual efficiency, unable to help herself, driven by the part of her that so desperately reached for such connections. When she finally slept, they could all clearly feel the newfound peace in her mind and soul.

"Did you notice our new addition?" Buffy asked as she came out, handing her a cup of coffee.

"Hmm?" Kathryn glanced up from where she was adjusting her pips, then she froze, and looked up again. And stared. Her mouth even dropped open.

"Yeah." Buffy nodded wryly. "That was my first reaction, too."

Voyager had been busy herself while they were unaware. She had gone through her databanks, and thoroughly evaluated every bit of data that she had on Borg technology and, morphing her interior completely, created a completely new alcove in their bedroom.

"**Do you like it, Captain?" **Voyager asked. **"Do you think Seven of Nine will like it? It is an old Terran custom called a 'Welcoming Gift'."**

The unusual sound of uncertainty in Voyager's voice broke through the shock that Kathryn had found herself trapped in. She hastily cleared her throat. "Um, yes, my ship. I think that she will like it very much."

Kathryn swallowed down a mouthful of steaming coffee as she forcibly pulled her mind back to her upcoming duty shift. She didn't even know why these types of things continued to surprise her. "What do you two have planned for today?"

"I've got a training class later today, believe it or not. After the fight with the tin-men, some of the crew sent me messages asking to be taught swordwork." Buffy grinned rakishly. "Until then, I think I'll stay with Seven. Faith's going to be working in engineering. B'Elanna says that she's got a real knack for it."

"A greasemonkey in the family, huh." Kathryn said, amused.

"Soon, more than one." Buffy smirked back. "We're not going to take nearly as long reeling in the Klingon, are we?"

Before Kathryn could answer, Faith came sauntering out of the bedroom, pulling a tattered tank top over her head. "Damn, KJ, that girl's got some serious moves. I'm gonna be feeling those muscles for hours. When can we do it again?"

Kathryn smiled as she continued to get ready for her shift. "Buffy, I wanted to talk to you about the armor in the coats. I want to know if it's possible to recreate it in something that fits Starfleet uniform specs. For us, and maybe even to be used in the Alpha quadrant. I also want to test and see if it's effective against energy weapons."

"Sure." Buffy shrugged. "It's just some lightweight chainmail in between the folds of the coat. Willow has all the specs, but you should talk to Danáe if you're talking distribution. The crew, sure, they're family now, but for those Starfleet people, they're gonna have to cough up some cash or credits or whatever you use. We're gonna need money if we ever make it back to Earth."

"Honey, I know that you're not worried about money, are you?"

"Not really." Buffy acknowledged. "You've told us about Earth ending poverty and hunger, but it would probably be better to have money of our own. I know that your trying to fix the problems that you know about, but we've learned the hard way not to trust the military as a whole. We don't want to have to rely on the military, even Starfleet."

Kathryn considered that, along with everything that she was working on in regards to her Marquis crew, and decided that it was probably for the best. "All right, then. I'll see you later, then?"

"Of course."

"Faith?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"No agitating B'Elanna during her duty shift." Kathryn pinned her with a look. "She's gets agitated enough without your help."

"No promises, KJ." Faith grinned back at her, unapologetically.

Buffy watched her leave with a smile. She tossed their dishes into the recycler, then returned to the bedroom. She could feel the heat building in their newest mate even as she slept. It would be like that for a few days, and they were determined that someone would always be near her, so that she could continue working. Not too difficult really, since Seven was usually with one of them anyway. She climbed back into the bed next to the Borg just as she began to shift restlessly.

"Buffy?" Seven said, opening her eyes.

"Goddess, you're beautiful." Buffy muttered, leaning over her to take a hard nipple into her mouth. Seven arched up with a small cry, her fingers immediately tangling into shimmering hair. _'You don't have to hold your strength back with me, Seven. Just let go, and don't worry about anything else.'_

Buffy spread Seven's legs and lay between them, focusing her attention of the luscious mounds before her. She used her hands to devastating effect as well. One hand caressed the edges of the Borg's implants, knowing the merged skin was sensitive, while her other hand slipped between their bodies to tease at the moist lips and brush over her hardened nubbin. Seven hissed in pleasure and clutched her lover closer. Reaching out without looking, she locked her fingers with the Borg's cybernetic hand, giving her something to grip as she moved lower and began to nip her way down the slate gray implants on her abdomen.

"Buffy." Seven moaned.

Suddenly, Buffy sank her teeth into Seven's skin where she had placed her mark. On her stomach, above her navel, on the sensitive skin just outside the boundary of her implant. At the same time, she pressed her thumb into Seven's clit, and purred in delight as she felt the climax surge through her Borg, pressing all of her body weight onto the taller woman to enjoy the ride as Seven undulated beneath her. Just as the contractions began to taper off, Buffy dipped lower, lifting Seven's human leg over her shoulder, and buried her tongue as far inside the warm cavern of Seven's body as she could, curling her tongue to press against the sweet spot high inside.

"_Buffy!_" Seven nearly shouted as her body imploded again, flooding the Prime's mouth. Her human hand clutched at Buffy head, trying to pull her closer, while her cybernetic hand tightened almost convulsively on Buffy's. If Buffy had been a regular human, her hand would have been crushed. Seven shuddered helplessly as she felt Buffy's purrs vibrate into her body from where they were lovingly connected.

After making sure she had gathered every last drop, Buffy moved up until she was face to face with the other blonde. "Still with me, _Mina_?"

Seven nodded as her mind kicked in once more to process the nuances of the language that she now understood perfectly. "_Mina_ means mate. Why do you call Kathryn _N'mina_, instead?"

"She is my primary mate, my First. She is my equal in almost every way. Only she has any true power over me." Buffy explained. "If Faith or Willow had not been brought into our mating group, they would be _N'mina_ to each other. They turn to each other first, just as I turn to Kathryn. When the others progress to the point where they can take multiple mates, they will have a _N'mina_ of their own, usually the mate that they had taken first."

Seven's thoughts progressed along that line. "Our collective is called _Endari, _which translates to mean family."

"Close, but not quite." Buffy shook her head slightly. "I am Prime, and you are my mates. Therefore we are..."

"_N'endari._" Seven finished, her tone slightly awed, as if she had glimpsed Omega once again. "We are the First Family."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

The cold, metallic gaze of the Borg Queen shifted from the scrolling information as she felt the last tenuous sensing of her stolen adjunct abruptly vanish.

"This is unacceptable." She said flatly. She did not understand what could have happened to fill the void that drew all severed drones back to the Collective, but without that void, it would be infinitely more difficult to draw her drone back to her perfection.

That organic had _much_ to answer for when she finally had her under her control.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"Megan and Jennifer Delaney, how could you!?"

Megan rolled her eyes at her sister before turning. "How could we what, Connie?"

"How could you be sleeping with those sexy things and not tell me?" Connie Tolger pouted, strolling through the Science Lab to lean against Jenny's console.

"Connie, we don't tell you about most of the people we get involved with." Jenny reminded her. "What makes you think this is any different?"

Connie ignored that simple truth. "I also heard that Sam Wildman is considering mating with one of them." She sighed theatrically. "I've been trying to get one of those gorgeous people in my bed for a month now. How long have you been seeing them, and can you hook me up?"

"Since before the fight with the Borg and no, we can't." Megan answered. They'd always been honest about their relationships, but they never advertised them. Their parents were well aware of their proclivities. Apparently, it ran in the family. The first things that the twins had been taught was consideration and respect. After that had been been discretion and honesty. "They don't like you, Connie. They don't like the way you use and discard your lovers. Besides, they only sleep with those that they are drawn to."

"Oh, please." Connie tsked. "What does it matter what I do with my past lovers? It's none of their business. I heard that the captain's other redhead has been sniffing after that meek little Bajoran. Wonder if the Captain knows about it?"

"She does." A new voice said from behind her. "Not that it's any of your business."

Connie whirled around to see Willow standing behind her with a hard expression in her eyes. She flushed with embarrassment, but a quick glance told her that the sisters were just as surprised at the sudden appearance as she was.

"We don't like you because you have no respect for the people around you. We may be insatiable, but we have limits that we will not cross. You cannot say the same. You have broken up relationships and destroyed friendships. Very few on this ship have favorable thoughts about you and the antagonism that you generate when you enter a room makes us uneasy."

Connie was pale by the time Willow finished. No one had ever spoken to her like that. No one had ever taken her to task for her actions. Mostly because of who her father was. Vice Admiral Jeremiah Tolger was at the top of the Starfleet chain of command, and not many were willing to get on his bad side. Even so, she'd made sure that her exploits were never serious enough to reach too far up the food chain. She knew that the Janeway name was just as powerful as the Tolger's, so she made perfectly sure that she gave no reason to be brought to the Captain's attention. She had never considered other people's thoughts about her. Her only friends were the Delaney twins, whose family was friends with hers. They had known each other from the cradle. Captain Delaney was well connected, and could be an Admiral himself, except he kept turning down the promotion.

"I don't think you know who you're talking to." Connie snapped angrily.

"Nor do I care." Willow took a step forward. "I know who your father is, but we are not from your Starfleet. Even if we were, there is nothing that he could do to us. You do not deserve to wear that uniform that everyone else takes such pride in." She took another step forward, and Connie took a hesitant step back. "Others may be accustomed to giving way to you, but sooner or later, they will all realize that we are _alone_ out here, and his power does not reach this far, and even if it did, by now, most of the crew have completed their tours of duty."

Connie blinked, clearly the thought hadn't occurred to her, but Willow wasn't finished.

"Don't play your games with us, lady." She said. "We've faced down threats much bigger than you. Push us, and you won't like it when we push back." She then leaned against Seven's console. "Now, I think it's time for you to leave, don't you?"

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Hello, ladies." Kathryn smiled at her visitors. "What do I owe this visit?"

"Um, can I ask you a question, Captain?" Naomi shifted nervously as she glanced at her friends. Siobhán, Naomi and Marisol had been given free reign to visit her as long as they checked to make sure that she was in her ready room and they weren't in the middle of any type of alert. She had become very close to the girls, often helping them with their science homework when she visited their study sessions.

"Of course, you can Naomi, you know that." She directed them to the couch and replicated some drinks for them. "What's the matter?"

"My mom got a letter from my father in the last communications batch, and I heard her talking to Ian."

"Were you eavesdropping?"

Naomi lowered her eyes. "I didn't mean to. It just, kind of, happened."

Kathryn smiled. "What did you hear?"

"Well, my father said that it was all right if Mom mated with Ian. That it was possible for Ktarians to have more than one mate, and as long as we were happy, then he was happy that someone would be taking care of us."

"That much, hmm." Naomi blushed. "What is your question, sweetheart?"

"I wanted to know about the mating." Naomi said. "I asked Buffy, but she said that she wasn't sure what she should tell me, so she told me to either ask you to explain it, or for you to let her know how much she could tell us."

"Oh, she did, did she?" Kathryn grimaced. _'I'm going to get you for this one, beloved.'_

'_You can send them back if you want.'_ Buffy told her. _'I just didn't want to tell her anything that you or her mother would disapprove of.'_

'_That's all right, beloved. I'll talk to them, but have Ian let Sam know, please.'_

She felt a phantom kiss brush her lips. Smiling, she turned her attention back to the girls. She explained to the girls the basics of the mating, without going into the sex aspect of it. She answered their questions, making sure that Naomi had at least some idea of what to expect should her mother decide to accept the mating with Ian. She made a mental note to speak with Samantha about Naomi's care while she was indisposed.

'_Don't worry, N'mina. We'll take care of her if it's necessary.'_

Her comm badge chirped. She shifted Mari, who had crawled into her lap, and tapped it lightly. "Go ahead."

"Captain, we're nearing on the coordinates of one of the planets with dilithium ore." Chakotay informed her. "We'll be in range for long-range scans in a few hours."

"Check our supply and speak with B'Elanna." Kathryn told him. "With the Borg on our trail, I don't want to stop unless we have to."

"Yes, Captain, Chakotay out."

"Okay, girls, I have work to do." She set Mari on her feet. Because of Buffy, Faith and Willow's scents, as well as her own status with the S'Terrans, the child felt very safe and secure in Kathryn's presence. With an instinctive deference to her position, however, she always made sure that Kathryn was alone, or off duty, before climbing into her lap. "How are your studies?"

Siobhán pouted. "Willow gave us a science project, but said that we have to get someone in the Science Lab to help us, and it couldn't be Seven. We also have homework in Mathematics, Histories and Cultures and Biology. I feel like I'm in school again."

Kathryn plucked her ear like her mother used to do to her and her sister. "You are in school again, kiddo, and I expect you to do well. Now, go on."

"Yes, _Vemay._" They responded as they left.

Kathryn chuckled as she returned to her desk. Naomi seemed to be picking up the S'Terran language, even though it still couldn't be translated through the comm badges. Sighing, she turned her attention back to her work console. She thanked Kahless that Owen Paris was one of the few that she could trust. It had taken some time, but he had finally gathered the information that she had asked him for not long after they had rescued the S'Terrans. By telling him that she had gotten the information from the entity that had sent her to the S'Terran's universe, she was able to convince him to look more closely at the threat of infiltration by Section 31. The messages had been heavily encrypted, using Starfleet, Borg and Willow's own encryptions. The key had been sent to her ex-fiancé, Mark as part of an 'accidental' packet that she'd known he'd immediately send to her mother without looking further, and instructions for encrypting the returning info had been sent to her sister. She knew that it was paranoid of her, but when she read the packet, she was glad that she had done it. Everything Owen could find indicated that Section 31 had infiltrated Starfleet Command much more deeply than she had thought. There were even rumors that the Vice Admiral had ties to the Black Ops group.

As she feared, there were sanctions submitted to the Vice Admiral to alter the terms of the pardons for the Marquis her ship, as well as plans to abduct Seven of Nine as soon as possible. Fury swept through her mind out of nowhere, and she had to consciously take a few deep breaths before she could continue.

'_N'mina?' 'KJ?' 'Kathryn, are you all right?'_

'_Kathryn, are you damaged?'_

The sound of Seven's voice broke through the veil. Her mate was safe for now. _'I'm all right.'_ She told everyone, knowing that if she didn't answer, they'd soon be at her ready room door. _'I'll tell you all later.' _She would do whatever it took to keep her mates safe. She was under no illusion that Section 31 wouldn't try the same things with the S'Terrans once they found out about their abilities, especially their advanced healing.

"Tuvok, would you please join me in my ready room."

"Aye, Captain."

A few minutes later, after calling Laren to take his station, he entered her ready room. A dark brow lifted at the scent of Vulcan tea. She only prepared it without asking if the situation was truly serious and she needed not only his advice, but his help as well. He joined her at the high table, a new one that she'd recently had installed since both he and Seven of Nine preferred to stand rather than sit. "Captain?"

"Get comfortable, old friend." Kathryn told him. "We might be here for a while."

- - - BtVS - - ST: Voyager - - -

"Hey, cutie." Willow wrapped her arms are Tal from behind. They'd had a great time this morning. "Whatcha working on?"

"Hello, Willow." Tal greeted. "The Delaney twins and I have decided to divide up Seven of Nine's work so that she could focus on her mating."

"That's nice of you." Willow kissed the side of her neck. "I'm sure that Seven will appreciate it."

Tal smiled shyly. For the longest time, she had been very intimidated by the ex-drone, and often very nervous around her. Seven radiated a very formidable presence, much like the Captain, and it had often made Tal so nervous that she ended up making the most rudimentary mistakes. It was only after Willow had pointed it out to Seven, that the ex-drone had 'backed off' enough for Tal to relax around her. Now, seeing that Tal wasn't as inefficient and useless as she had first assumed, Seven would take the time to explain where her mistakes were, instead of simply correcting them. Of course, now that she had mostly overcome her nervousness, her mistakes were generally more complex in nature.

"Thank you again for helping me with Seven, Willow."

"It was nothing." Willow waved it off. "She just didn't realize how intimating she was. She's accustomed to everyone being at relatively the same level of intellect and having the answers that she wanted quick and correct, even though she knows intellectually that that's not true here."

Their morning had been very nice. Tal had taken Willow to Holodeck 2 and shown her a favorite spot on the Bajoran homeworld. They had talked and eaten and even made out a little. Their original plan to spend the whole day together had been changed because of Seven's initiation. Megan had asked if Tal would come in later to divide Seven's work, since it wouldn't be advisable for Seven to be on duty, especially the first day after the mating.

"Time for your break." Willow grinned playfully. They were alone in the Astrometrics lab, since the twins had gone to get something to eat. She turned Tal to face her, touched a few commands on the console to lock out the pressure sensor for the next ten minutes, then pressed the Bajoran back against it. Before Tal could say anything, Willow took her lips in a heated kiss.

"Willow..." Tal gasped

"Shhh." Willow murmured against her lips. "I'm trying to steal second base."

"W-what?" Tal tried to ask, then gasped when Willow stroked over the sensitive ridges on her breasts, the sensation shuddering through her despite the cloth that prevented skin to skin contact. Her head fell back, and she felt Willow nip at her throat. "Oh, Prophets."


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

After leaving Tal to get back to work, Willow headed back to their quarters, positive that Seven would soon be completely bored and ready to do something constructive, if she wasn't already. The Borg was not accustomed to idleness, so Willow had grabbed several Padds with the projects that they were working on and went to keep her company. Besides, she was feeling the mating call flicker in their newest mate already, and this time, she wanted to be the one to do something about it.

"Hey there." Willow grinned as she watched Seven get dressed. They had slowly been expanding her clothing selection, mostly because of her overly sensitive skin. Her clothes, while comfortable enough, had a thin layer of insulation to protect her with, that had been manufactured for her by the Doctor.

"Willow." Seven said simply, as she pulled the shirt over her head.

"They've got your work covered in Astrometrics, Seven." Willow told her. "To give your body time to...adapt."

"That is unnecessary." Seven said. "I am 'fine'."

"Oh really?" With a mischievous glint in her eye, Willow stepped close to Seven so that their bodies brushed against each lightly. That was all it took for her arousal to ignite the mating fire in the cool blonde to full flame once more. Slender fingers reached around to tweak stiffened nipples. "You are _fine_, I'll give you that, but you're in no condition to be on duty." Slipping around to face her mate, Willow kissed her quickly before continuing. "That's why I've brought us some things to work on, so I can keep you company, and neither one of us will get bored."

Willow's breath caught as she saw the heavy-lidded look of lust focused on her. Seven was beautiful on any given day, but the way she looked now left the redhead breathless. The S'Terran found herself being lifted off of her feet and laid on the bed. Before she could wonder at the sudden role-reversal, Seven was kissing her forcefully, hands buried in shimmering red hair. Willow purred into the kiss, immediately tangling their legs together. _Or we could do this instead,_ she thought giddily.

Seven couldn't concentrate on anything other than the feel of the woman beneath her. The need inside her was beyond anything she had ever experienced. None of the species that she had helped assimilate had the experience to even compare. She drew on the knowledge, however, to pleasure both herself and her lover. She slowed the kiss, leisurely exploring Willow's mouth as she hadn't had the chance to do before. Willow moaned at the change of pace, and her hands came off the bed to clutch at Seven's waist.

"Seven." The redhead whimpered as the kisses moved across her jaw and her hands were caught and pulled above her head. Holding her captive with one hand, Seven used the other to trace down the lithe body beneath her. As she teased one breast with tongue and the graze of gently applied teeth, slender fingers firmly tweaked the other nipple, causing Willow to arch sharply at the conflicting sensations. "Oh Goddess!"

Seven used her own body to push the redhead back down as Buffy had done to her previously. She focused intently on her mate's breasts, reveling in the cries ringing in her ears and the backwash of pleasure that was skittering along their bond, even as she maneuvered so that she could press her thigh into Willow's sex, pressing lightly, then backing off, teeth baring in a smile as she nipped the plump breast as Willow's hips instinctively tried to follow.

"Seven, please!" Willow whined as the blonde played her body like a fine instrument, all the while holding her to the bed and limiting her range of movements. A long, slow, torturous ten minutes at Seven's mercy. She could not have done this with Faith or Buffy, their primal instincts would not allow it, and even Kathryn would have tried to wrestle for control by now, but could sense that Willow was loving every moment. Finally leaving her breasts, Seven rose to kiss the redhead heatedly once again, and her fingers moved down to press into clenching inner muscles. As she thrust powerfully into her mate, she positioned herself and began to ride Willow's thigh.

Willow groaned as her body clamped down on the intruding fingers. Seven, with her Einstein mind and Playboy body, was one of the most focused lovers that she'd ever had. The blonde hadn't said a word during the entire encounter, instead focusing completely on the devastating pleasure that she was dishing out. "Seven, baby, please!"

The look in Seven's eyes made her insides shiver before the blonde finally released her wrists and placed her hand in the small of Willow's back, holding her tightly as she pressed deeper with the fingers of her human hand and pushed herself against the other thigh just a little harder. They could feel their climaxes building, and when it broke over them, Willow's body arched with such ferocity that she lifted her heavier mate with her as her scream echoed off the walls. Seven buried her face in Willow's neck and whimpered as the waves crashed through her like a tsunami.

"Wow, Seven." Willow gasped, trying to catch her breath. "Just...wow."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

"Well, Captain, B'Elanna reports that we've good a good supply, but I think we should stock up anyway." Chakotay reported, sitting across from her in her ready room. "I think it would be better to stop and collect the ore now, before the Borg catch up to us again, then find ourselves out while we're on the run."

"You could be right." Kathryn admitted. "Is the planet inhabited?"

"Yes, there is a colony or village not far from the mountain range. Do you want an away team to visit?"

"I think so. Maybe trade for foodstuff and other supplies." Kathryn sat back in her seat as she thought. "B'Elanna can take her people to the mountain range and begin the ore extraction. I want you and Laren to go to this village and see what kind of trading good they have, and what they may or may not be interested in. I suggest you take Buffy with you. You all need to learn to work together, and she needs to learn how we conduct first contact situations."

Kathryn could almost hear him teeth grinding together, but he nodded anyway. "Of course, Captain."

Ending the meeting, she left him in command as she went looking for her mates. She knew that Willow was keeping Seven occupied. She'd been feeling the backlash for the last little while, and it had taken all of her concentration to stay focused in her meeting with Chakotay. Now her arousal was at a low pulse, enough that she could put it to the side and possibly get some work done. She knew that Buffy and Faith were in holodeck one, sparring. For a moment, Kathryn merely watched them, admiring the flawless way they went through the sparring drills. She laughed when she realized that for every takedown, one of them would steal a kiss from the other.

"I need to speak with you two." She said, interrupting their sparring/make out session.

They glanced over at her, then straightened from their battle positions. She tossed them both a towel and turned down the music. "We're coming up on a planet that has dilithium ore. I'm sending a mining team down to restock our supplies, just in case this little chase with the Borg goes on longer than expected. Because Seven off rotation for the moment and B'Elanna's going to be in charge of the mining, Faith's team will be on protection duty. Buffy, I want you to go with Laren and Chakotay into the nearby settlement to look for other supplies we might be able to trade, like food stuffs or recreational. I want you to get a feel for first contact situations and try to get along with Chakotay, since you'll be going on away missions with him more often than with me."

Buffy gave her a pointed look. "It's not _us_ with the problem, _N'mina._"

"I know." Kathryn sighed. "However, he is still my First Officer, and there will be occasions where you will _have_ to take orders from him. You all have to get past this animosity now, especially with the Borg Queen after you, beloved. I don't want to see her succeed because we are divided."

"As long as he keeps his 'orders' reasonable, we'll have no problems." Buffy assured her.

Kathryn knew that was the best concession that she would get. Kissing her mates, she left them to finish their workout and decided to stop by their quarters before she returned to her ready room. Chakotay had been on enough first contact missions to plan it alone, but she knew that she'd have to review it before they left so that there was nothing Buffy would object to. Her mate was tolerant, and smart enough to defer to someone else with more experience when necessary, but only to a point. Even as merely a Slayer, she could only be pushed so far.

In their quarters, she found Willow and Seven lounging naked on the bed with a pile of Padds between them. Even though they were surrounded by their work, they were talking about random other things. She watched them quietly for a moment, listening to Willow tell Seven about her day spent with Ensign Celes.

"Why did she not correct her designation?" Seven asked curiously.

"She said that the recruiter wrote it down wrong when she applied to the Academy, and just didn't bother to get it corrected." Willow shrugged. "After I asked her, she told me the whole story. I changed it in the Starfleet records."

"Willow..." Kathryn said reproachfully. "What have I told you about unauthorized changes?"

"Oh, heh heh, hey Kathryn." Willow looked up bashfully. She glanced at Seven. "You're supposed to have enhanced hearing, how'd you miss her coming in?"

Seven smirked. "I noted her entrance. I assumed that you heard her as well. You also have enhanced hearing."

"Yeah, well..." Willow started.

"I'm still waiting for an explanation." Kathryn said, forcibly keeping the smile off her face.

"Well, I didn't exactly make the changes myself, per se." Willow said. "It was sort of a joint effort between me and Voyager, since I really didn't know where to look to make the changes."

"Voyager, my ship?"

"**Um, yes, Captain?"**

"There are to be no unauthorized changes from you either. If changes to Starfleet records are needed, then you must go through the proper channels as well. That means Tuvok, Chakotay, or myself. Is that understood?"

"**Yes, Captain."**

"As for you, young lady." Kathryn turned her attention back to Willow. "I'll let this one go, since it was a small change, that no one would probably have even noticed, but it won't happen again. Correct?"

"Yes, Kathryn."

Finally smiling, she leaned over to kiss her women before sitting on the edge of the bed next to Seven. "How are things going with Tal?"

"Slowly." Willow said, flopping back onto the bed so that her head was in Seven's lap. "She wants to take it slow, but I know she enjoyed her break earlier."

"Ahh, so that's how you got so worked up before coming in here and taking advantage of my Borg." Kathryn chuckled. "I wondered, since I knew that Faith was in Engineering and Buffy was teaching in Holodeck 2."

"She's absolutely delicious." Willow grinned salaciously. "I wanted to take her right there in the lab. Just lift her up on the console, spread her legs and see just how sensitive those ridges really are."

"She isn't a possible mate, though, is she?" Willow shook her head regretfully. Kathryn leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Then I want you to be careful with her. I may not know her well, but I do know that she's a sweet girl. Buffy says that Tal reminds her of you when the two of you first met."

Willow thought about that. "She does, doesn't she? I guess that makes sense, considering how my vamp self was attracted to me back in high school. The roles are kinda reversed, but I guess the thinking would be similar."

"Well, I just wanted to check in with you two." Kathryn rose and straightened her uniform. "I'd better get back. Love you ladies."

"We love you as well, Kathryn." Seven returned with a smile as she absently ran her fingers through shimmering red hair.

A few hours later, Voyager came to a stop well out of range of what looked like satellites in the planet's high orbit. After several scans, Kathryn called her staff into a meeting.

"It looks like the people on the planet have reached space, but haven't managed warp capability just yet." Harry Kim reported. "The scans indicate that their technology is about the level of 22th century Earth. We've managed to tap into their radio frequencies. They know that there is life outside of their planet, and their scientists are making headway towards breaking the warp barrier. At the rate they are progressing, it looks like they will be warp capable in a few generations."

"Seven, do you have any information regarding these people?"

Seven looked at the information provided. She and Willow had joined the meeting by vidscreen instead of in person. "I do not, Captain. A species such as this would have no interest to the Borg due to their inferior technology."

"Well, it looks like we're doing this the old fashioned way." Kathryn sat back with a small grin. "Laren, I want you, Buffy, Mike and Lt. Ayala to go down for a quick recon mission. Don't approach the settlement. Just take a quick look. We need to see what physical differences there are between us and them. After that, Chakotay will lead the first contact mission. It looks as though the highest concentration of ore is on the far side of the mountains, so there should be no problems mining it without detection. We need information the most. Scan the foodstuffs to see if it's compatible with us. I know that the replicators are working again, but it won't hurt to have some non-perishables on board if something happens. Harry, Tuvok, I want continuous long range scans. If the Borg do show up, I don't want to bring them down on these people's unsuspecting heads. I want to be long gone before they can pick us up on their sensors."

"Captain, this civilization is pre-warp." Harry said. "Doesn't this violate the Prime Directive?"

She wondered when someone was going to ask that. "It does in a way, Mr. Kim, which is why we're going in undercover. We've been adhering to the Prime Directive since we arrived here. Unfortunately, most of the warp-capable species have tried to kill us, while the pre-warp species that we've encountered when we've had no other choice has shown the greatest hospitality. If it were a matter of cultivating alliances, then we would still leave them out of it, but when we need supplies, we can't afford to limit ourselves any longer."

"Yes, Captain." He nodded.

"All right, everyone." She stood, drawing the meeting to a close. "Let's get moving."


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Buffy and Laren peered down at the colony while Mike and Ensign Ayala keep their eyes on the surrounding area. They had chosen a vantage point on a high hill, where there looked to be little to no travel.

"What do you think?" Buffy asked.

"It looks like we won't need to do much to blend in. Just a little cosmetics." Laren answered. "The layout of the city looks pretty simple. There's a market of some sort in the center. We might be able to trade for some little goodies there after Chakotay handles the big stuff."

"I'm always up for shopping." Buffy grinned, then became serious again. "I figure we could get away with telling them that we're from the other side of the mountains. That would explain any differences in our dress, since I have no intention of leaving my coat behind, seeing as how it's got all of my weapons in it."

"You know, Willow really needs to get the parameters for those coats into the databases." Laren remarked as the rejoined the others and headed back for the _Delta Flyer._ "Those coats are perfect, especially for us. Just the fact that the weapons don't register during scans is a huge advantage."

The recon mission had been simple and easy. Since they couldn't approach the local government as interstellar travelers, they would have to blend in, and so they had needed to see what, if any, changes needed to be made to the appearances of the away team. They could have done it the normal way with molecular scanning but, according to Kathryn, some leg work was good for them. Which was all right with Buffy, who had been feeling a little restless, anyway.

"_N'mina_, we are on our way back." Buffy reported after the _Flyer_ took off in full stealth mode.

"Good, were there any problems?" Kathryn asked.

"Not a one. They look like a very peaceful group. We've got holo-photos of the people for the cosmetic changes."

Laren manned the shuttle controls, content to let Buffy give the report. She listened to the Prime talk to her Captain, and thought again of what she was going to do with this whole Faith situation. None of the other mates had mentioned anything of it to her, even though she knew that they had to be aware of what had happened that day. She could only surmise that they were giving her the time to make the decision herself. A quick glance back showed that Michael and Ensign Ayala were engrossed in an intense conversation about combat tactics, if she was hearing correctly.

"Buffy, I need to talk to you about this whole mating situation." She said slowly after they cut communications

Buffy paused for a long moment, then glanced back at Mike. He nodded and took Ayala into the back, closing the doors behind them. Buffy turned her chair to face her friend. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me more about this link between you guys." Laren said. "The Delaneys are both possible mates to S'Terrans, and so is Samantha Wildman, but they haven't actually mated. Even if they were, I doubt it would be anything like being mated to you guys."

"You're right." Buffy said simply. "The _N'endari_ is different. Mostly because I am different. Any non-S'Terran who mates with one of us is genetically altered to become as much our equal as possible without fundamentally changing your DNA. Willow or Seven could explain it a lot better than I could. We are all connected to each other, mostly emphatically, but telepathically as well."

Laren didn't like that. The last thing she wanted was someone running around in her head.

"It's not like that." Buffy said, seeing the look on her face. "We aren't in each other minds or anything, but we can speak to one another when necessary. I'm sure you suspected that, at least. I mean, we've teased Kathryn enough times when she was on the bridge. Willow really _is_ telepathic, however, but she, like the others, would never invade your privacy without permission. Regardless, it's the mating fire that you've really got to worry about."

"The mating fire?"

"Oh, yeah. We feel it all the time. The need to touch and taste our mates. Most of the time its manageable, and a soft touch or a gentle kiss will do, but sometimes, like when we're worked up from serious anger or after a fight, it will ignite and sweep through all of us. Like after the fight with the Borg. You might have noticed how quite a few of us vanished for a while afterwards. The battlelust that we experience is more intense when we're mated, and if you decide to become our mate, you will experience both."

Buffy fell silent as Laren's expression turned thoughtful and she turned her attention back to piloting the shuttle.

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Buffy was lounging on the sofa in her ready room when Kathryn entered. She was staring entranced at the stars outside, and Kathryn was once again amazed at the childlike awe that sometimes filled her face whenever she took the time to realize again that she really was living in space.

"Hello, beloved."

Buffy turned and smiled at her. She held out a hand pulled Kathryn onto her lap. "Laren is having a difficult time deciding if she wants to join us, or not. I think you're going to have to tell her that it doesn't have to be rushed."

Kathryn chuckled. "Well, she is a very private person, so I can understand how daunting it would be suddenly facing the prospect of being paired with all of us."

"Heh, yeah maybe." Buffy grinned, kissing her. Her hands automatically drifted down to cup her mate's firm ass. "Can you take a break?"

"Oh, yeah." Kathryn murmured, burying her fingers in shimmering hair and kissing her mate fiercely. Reaching down without breaking the liplock, she quickly undid the buttons on Buffy's shirt, impatient to get to smooth skin. Pushing the shirt off of her shoulders, she cupped the small pert breasts in her hands, pinching the nipples firmly. Buffy broke the kiss as her back arched and a growl rumbled out of her throat. Kathryn's mouth immediately attached to the mark on Buffy's neck and sucked hard.

"Keep that up and this break will take at least an hour." She warned, eyes closed tightly as she tilted her head to give her mate easier access.

Kathryn chuckled, but relented. Settling for some light petting, they talked about little insignificant things until Kathryn felt she needed to get back to work. "So, are you ready for you first diplomatic mission?"

"I'm actually excited." Buffy grinned. "Don't worry, though. I'm sure that Laren can keep me from killing Chakotay while we're down there."

Kathryn sighed. "You realize that I'm going to have to talk to him soon, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know."

"That means you can't come running to the rescue if things get heated." Buffy scowled, but Kathryn held her gaze steadily until she finally nodded reluctantly. "I'll talk to him after you return. That way, whatever happens won't interfere with your mission together."

Kathryn kissed her again, then shooed her out so that she would continue working. Buffy straightened her clothes, then left the ready room, humming under her breath. She nodded at everyone on her way out, pointedly ignoring Chakotay's scowl. He reminded her of Travers so much that she was tempted to call out his name and flip him the bird just as the turbolift doors closed, but decided that would put her mate in too tenuous a position. She was almost sure that they were going to have words at least once during this mission, if for no other reason to establish some ground rules. _Should be amusing,_ she thought, grinning to herself.

She headed for the mess hall. She knew that Willow and Faith were keeping Seven company and she didn't want to intrude. Even though alpha shift had ended, she also knew that Kathryn would work for a few more hours yet. Entering the already filled room, she ordered herself a plate of nachos and a beer, and headed to her favorite table in the back by the big window. She was munching on her snack and basking in the erotic pulses coming from her mates when the atmosphere of the room suddenly shifted to her sensitive senses. She didn't bother to turn to see who had entered. Very few people garnered such a reaction. Seven had been one, but it was more of a generic kind of discomfort that had abated the more Seven relaxed around her crewmates, but she knew that Willow was keeping her company in their quarters, so that ruled her out. Another was Connie Tolger, who generated a universal dislike that bordered on loathing. So she was a little surprised when a shadow fell across her table and a cleared throat broke her renewed absorption of the starfield outside.

"You're Buffy, right?" The woman slid into the seat across from her. "I'm Connie Tolger."

"I know who you are." Buffy said. She didn't like this woman, and she wasn't going to pretend like she did, but she would be civil. "What can I do for you?"

Connie flinched inside at the flat tone. The blonde was seriously hot and it was obviously going to be a little more difficult getting into those tight leathers than she'd originally thought. "I want to talk to you about your girlfriend, Willow."

Buffy tensed, causing several nearby S'Terrans to fall quiet. "What about her?"

"Oh, it's nothing serious." Connie assured her. "We had a few words, that's all, but she made me aware that you and your people don't know much about Starfleet. Now, my father is the Vice Admiral, and I thought that we could maybe get to know each other. My father runs Starfleet, and you would do well to have him as a friend."

Buffy's nose twitched at the scent of Connie's arousal. Her lip curled in an unconscious snarl. "We have enough Starfleet friends, thanks."

"I think you'll find that some friends are worth more than others." Connie said smoothly. "And you'll find that being _my_ friend would benefit you and you people in many ways you when we get back to the Alpha Quadrant."

Buffy sat back and studied the woman in front of her. She was a slutty version of Cordelia Chase, using her family name and position to get her way over everyone else. She knew what Tolger wanted. She could smell the various scents on her body. It seemed like the woman was determinedly working her way through her crewmates.

'_Willow, what did you and Tolger talk about?'_

'_How do you know about that?'_ Willow asked, her surprise clear. _'I was going to tell you about it later.'_

'_She's sitting in front of me right now, talking about how I should be friends with her and by extension, her family, for me and my people.'_

Buffy felt Willow's irritation.

'_Her pop is the head cheese, B.'_ Faith interjected. _'She keeps her shit on the down low, just outta the Captain's radar. Laren keeps an eye on her, but she never does anything that would get her into serious trouble.'_

'_Her father is the vindictive sort.' _Willow continued. _'I dipped in her mind a little before I actually confronted her. Her father has ruined several promising careers because of her. The only reason she's being as good as she is, is because she's not sure she'd be able to bluff or bribe her way out of trouble with Kathryn. The Janeway family is as influential as hers, maybe even more so because they are also highly respected. I told her that sooner or later, people would realize that her father's reach doesn't extend this far, and people already don't like her. She's probably trying to hedge her bets by getting on your good side.'_

'_Well someone should have told her that trying to seduce me is not the way to do it.'_ Buffy said wryly. She refocused on the woman sitting in front of her, popping another nacho in her mouth. "So, what would you get out of this 'friendship'?"

"Well, I'd like to think that I would get to keep a little company with a beautiful woman." Connie leaned forward with a seductive smile.

"Somehow I think our definitions of 'hanging out' are a bit different." Buffy said sarcastically. "I know your reputation. I happen to be happily involved, thank you."

"Maybe you should tell that to your little redhead." Connie snapped, her face twisting into an ugly sneer. She was unaccustomed to such a flat-out rejection. "She's been doing a little sniffing of her own, so obviously they aren't as happy as you are. You don't want my father for an enemy. He can either offer protection or stability, or he can make it so that you never know a moment's peace or safe haven."

"You dare threaten me?!?" Buffy's growl made the entire mess hall go completely silent as she jumped to her feet and grabbed a handful of tunic, yanking the woman nearly across the table. She glared at the stupid slut with furious, golden eyes. "You know _nothing_ of me and my mates! You know _nothing_ of me and my people. We do not need or want friends like you. You are a part of this crew. You don't deserve to be, but you are, and that is _all_ that's keeping you safe, but you will stay away from my people from now on. Do you understand?"

Connie Tolger couldn't even nod, she was so scared. The moment Buffy's mood had shifted, the S'Terrans in the room had moved to form a loose circle around them, separating them from the rest of the crew. When Buffy grabbed the crewman, the Starfleet officers had surged to their feet in instinctive reaction, making the S'Terrans immediately defensive. Buffy ignored it all.

"Do you understand?" She growled, shaking the woman hard.

Before she could answer, the mess hall doors swished opened and the captain swept in. "Everyone stand down." She ordered. Her crew relaxed marginally, but the S'Terrans didn't. She glared at them. "I said stand down. Now."

The S'Terrans shifted out of the way as she approached, alert but no longer defensive. Kathryn moved forward to stand next to her furious mate. "Let her go, Buffy."

The Prime growled at her, her grip tightening as she stood. The woman whimpered in fear as she dangled from the iron grip.

"Willow told me everything. She stayed linked with you during the entire conversation and Voyager recorded it. She threatened you, but she is a member of my crew, and therefore mine to deal with." Kathryn gripped her mate's chin when she didn't respond, and forced her face to turn until they were eye to eye. "_I _will handle it."

With a snarl, Buffy shoved the woman away. The force of the shove sent Tolger crashing at the feet of the security detail that had accompanied the captain. She glanced over at her people, and Ororo stepped forward. Buffy pointed at Tolger. "Unless there is a threat to her life, she doesn't exist."

Without another word, Buffy stormed out of the mess hall. The look on her face had people instinctively backing out of her way as she moved down the corridor to the turbolift. "Esplanade."

Kathryn watched her leave with a sigh. Ororo and the others left almost immediately after. Her crew slowly relaxed and returned to their seats. Finally, her eyes settled on Constance Tolger. "On your feet, Crewman, and follow me."


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

Chapter Twenty-One

"B'Elanna, please." Tom Paris begged his former girlfriend. He had been sure that if he gave her some time to calm down, she'd take him back, but now he was worried. "I'm sorry, honey. I really am. I love you."

"Save it, Tom." The Klingon snarled, "I forgave your first 'little' fling, but not this time. I don't want to hear your excuses!"

"B'Elanna, she seduced me." The helmsman explained desperately. "It was nothing. Just a little fooling around. Part of the story plot."

"Oh, so Captain Proton is X-rated, now?" B'Elanna scoffed. "Of course she seduced you, fool. The _puta_ has been seducing anyone she could get her claws into, especially if they're already in a relationship, or did you think you were special? Most of us had the sense and self-control to turn her down. I'm done with you, Flyboy. If the Captain didn't need you as a pilot, I'd kick your ass all over this ship. Now, get out. Unlike you, I've still got work to do before I can go off duty."

She turned her attention to the reports on her desk, ignoring her former boyfriend, until he finally sighed and left. She forced herself to finish her reports despite her renewed anger, knowing that if she left them, something would happen before she could get back to them again. The engines were her babies, and she made sure to read every report that hit her desk to make sure that they were maintained to her own personal standards. She quickly finished and uploaded the reports before signing off and making her way out of Engineering. She was still pissed over how Tom had tried to justify his infidelity, and wasn't exactly ready to be around other people, so the mess hall was out, and didn't want to go back to her room. She entered the turbolift. "Esplanade."

When she stepped out into the fresh air, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Looking around, she saw a blur streaking towards her and instinctively shifted into a defensive position. Before they connected, however, the blur stopped, turning into the panting leader of the S'Terrans.

"Buffy?"

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Kathryn looked at her crewmember standing at attention in front of her desk. "Well, Miss Tolger, it seems that you've finally pushed someone too far. What were you thinking?"

Connie had a bad feeling, but pushed it aside. "Captain, that woman attacked me and I demand that she be brought up on charges."

"First of all, you do not demand _anything_ from me." Kathryn said coldly. "I don't care about your father. This is _my_ ship." She sat back in her seat. "As for charges, one, Buffy Summers is not Starfleet, and two, S'Terrans are not a part of the Federation, and therefore, I cannot dictate how she responds to threats against her people."

"Threats?" Connie scoffed, trying to find a way out of this mess. "I made no threats."

"Oh, really?" A russet brow arched. "Computer, play back recording."

Connie paled as she listened to her furious ultimatum.

"I must admit that I'm surprised that someone as politically savvy as yourself would be so foolish." The captain said thoughtfully. "First Willow, and now Buffy. For over four years, you've managed to stay out of my office, although with your 'activities', I'm not sure how, then you decide to stir up trouble with not one, but _two_ of my mates. All because you haven't been able to seduce any of the S'Terrans into your bed."

Connie's eyes widened.

"Oh, yes, I know all about you, Miss Tolger, and your afterhours 'engagements'. I have been ready to charge you for Conduct Unbecoming for some time. Unfortunately, I needed someone to come forward and make a complaint. However, this will do just as nicely. Now, since you're a Crewman, demoting you is out of the question. Because of the Vice Admiral, you have only been assigned the lightest duty. You've pulled your weight in the Science Department so far, mostly thanks to the Delaney sisters, but that ends now."

The sinking feeling in Connie's belly grew exponentially larger.

"I'm assigning you a keeper that you won't be able to cajole or seduce. From now on, you will be on maintenance crew, specifically the cleaning detail. There will be no shirking this duty. You will work, or you will spend the rest of this trip in the brig. Until further notice, holodeck privileges are rescinded and replicator rations are halved. You are confined to your quarters with limited visitations, all chaperoned."

"You can't do that!" Connie cried, finally understanding that she was in serious trouble for the first time in her life. Without her father to use as leverage, she didn't have any type of ammunition to get out of this.

"Of course I can. Regardless of who your father is, _I_ am Captain aboard this ship." Kathryn reminded her, then turned to the security escort. "Lt. Ro, escort Miss Tolger to her new quarters and introduce her to her keeper. And Crewman, I suggest that you go quietly. You're in enough trouble as it is."

She waited until they had left before sitting back and sighing deeply. "Voyager, my ship, please inform my mate that I would like to see her."

**"Yes, Captain."**

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

"Are you okay, Buffy?" B'Elanna asked the S'Terran leader.

"Hey, B'Elanna." Buffy panted. "Yeah, I'm okay. Had a little problem in the mess hall, and its got me a little riled up, that's all."

Buffy took a few deep breaths to slow her pounding heart. To cool off her rage, she had run the circumference of the deck, at full speed, twice. She knew that Kathryn was going to have to reprimand her in some way for what had happened, and she didn't want to face her still angry.

"I know the feeling." The Klingon snorted. "Tom was trying to justify sleeping with one of the Crewmen during his holodeck program. The bitch has been sleeping with everyone on the ship, and he suddenly can't keep it in his pants when she turns her charms on him. What happened with you?"

"A Crewman named Tolger tried to threaten me into sleeping with her." Buffy growled, getting angry again just thinking about it."

"Small world. Tolger's the _p'taQ_ that Tom slept with."

"Well, she threatened me in the mess hall and, according to Kathryn, Voyager recorded the whole thing, so now Kathryn is dealing with her." Buffy told her friend. "The only thing is that Kathryn is probably going to have to say something to me for assaulting a member of her crew."

"Oh, please. That bitch has been cruisin' for a bruisin' for years now."

"Not really the point, Lanna." Buffy sighed. "She can't afford to seem like she's showing me favoritism to that degree because I'm her mate."

"Oh. Didn't think of it like that." B'Elanna said thoughtfully.

As if on cue, Voyager piped in through Buffy's commbadge. **"Buffy, the captain would like to see you in her ready room."**

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Word of what had happened in the mess hall spread through the ship like a plasma fire. Although the crew that had been there had jumped to their feet when Buffy had grabbed Tolger, it was more out of instinct than anything else. Most of the crew had been burned by the crewman in one way or another, usually when she had slept with whomever they were involved with. It was what she was known for. The Starfleet crew all steered clear of her because of who her father is. The Maquis didn't care who her father was, they just didn't like her.

When Chakotay heard about the incident, he was equally amused and upset. Amused because the Tolger woman had been a pain in his ass for a long time, but the fact that Kathryn just let that Summers girl attack a member of the crew without consequence worried him. First the fraternization, now this. Kathryn seemed to be throwing away her vaunted Starfleet protocols for this woman, and he suspected that he was going to be forced to do something about it. To be fair though, he knew that he'd need to confront Kathryn before doing anything rash.

_It's like she's under some sort of spell,_ he thought angrily. _It's that Buffy. I know it is. If she's gone, then everything will go back to the way it's supposed to be._


	22. Chapter TwentyTwo

Chapter Twenty-Two

Buffy took a deep breath as she stood outside the ready room door. She could feel the eyes of the bridge crew on her back but ignored them, especially the heated glare from the first officer. She had bigger problems than that jackass. She hated when Kathryn was upset with her. Finally, she screwed up her courage and rang the chime.

"Come."

Taking another deep breath, Buffy entered the room. "You wanted to see me, _N'mina._"

"I understand that since you are not a member of Starfleet, nor even a member of the Federation, that our laws do not necessarily apply to you." Kathryn started out, keeping her tone carefully neutral. "However, Buffy, there are rules aboard this ship that you can, and will, abide by. Physical fighting between crewmembers, with the exception of sparring and training, will not be tolerated, Starfleet or not."

Buffy said nothing. She had learned a long time ago that interrupting a Janeway lecture was an extremely foolish move. Thankfully, she hadn't been the fool. Idly, she wondered if Xander had ever truly recovered from that.

"I understand the situation with Miss Tolger was a little out of the ordinary, but you are going to have to reign in those instincts. Especially you, Buffy. You are the leader of your people. They will follow your example, especially the wild ones like Faith. You are also mated to me, and I cannot have you attacking my crew." She sat back in her chair and sighed. "Unfortunately, even though you were clearly provoked, a reprimand is required. Normally, I would have Chakotay deal with this, but I do not trust him to be fair to you, nor do I imagine you would listen to him anyway."

Buffy was careful to keep her smirk buried really, really deep.

"So, for the next two weeks, you are hereby restricted to quarters unless training, teaching or performing your duties, both to the ship and to your people. You will also still be going on this away mission. While I cannot bar anyone who lives there, the only others that will have free access to you are Marisol, Siobhán and Naomi."

A few minutes later, Buffy quietly walked off the bridge, making everyone wonder what the captain had said to silence her natural exuberance. She usually left the ready room a little mussed and in extremely high spirits. Chakotay felt satisfaction well up in his chest at the fact that the insolent girl had finally been put in her place. _Maybe whatever hold she has on Kathryn is weakening,_ he thought to himself. _Threats to her crew will always bring Kathryn to her senses._

Tuvok watched Chakotay from his position at tactical as the commander unconsciously shifted into a more relaxed position. He did not need to touch the man to clearly read his enjoyment of the young S'Terran's reprimand, assuming that it had been harsh. He, however, knew the captain, and for this type of minor infraction, she would not have done more than confine the young woman to her quarters for a small period, especially in light of the fact that she had been threatened, and therefore, provoked. Continuing to observe the first officer, he speculated that whatever emotion had made the commander so pleased with Buffy's 'reaction' to her punishment was the cause of the current strain on his relationship with the captain.

B'Elanna met Buffy in the corridor on deck three. "How'd it go?"

"Confined to quarters for two weeks unless training, teaching or duties." Buffy shrugged. "The only ones with free access to me, that aren't my mates, are the little ones."

"You don't seem to upset about it." The Klingon noticed.

"Lanna, I've got four very passionate mates that share quarters with me. More than enough stuff to go through learning about your Starfleet and your Federation, and the training and teaching will help me get rid of the excess energy that keeps us bouncing off the walls."

"Well, that's all true, I guess."

"What happened to the Tolger woman?"

"Well, it seems that she's been disgraced in the eyes of her Captain. She's no longer in the Science Department and no longer has her own quarters. The captain roomed her with this guy named Virgil. He was Maquis, and more of a man's man than a woman's man, if you know what I mean. A bottom if I've ever seen one, but he's always had issues with pushy women. The captain did better than she knows putting her in with him."

Buffy's laughter filled the corridor, alerting her mates that she was there before they reached the door.

"Well, I'll be kinda busy getting ready for this mining op, so I might not see you for a few days, not counting tomorrow's test." B'Elanna clapped her on the back and headed back to the turbolift. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Still chuckling, Buffy entered her quarters, only to find her arms suddenly filled with a giggling dark-haired child. "Hello, Mari."

"Buffy, Faith is tickling me again!" Marisol accused, just as her torturer came barreling out of the bedroom, chasing after her escaped victim.

"These little hoodlums jumped me." Faith defended herself. "I mean, there I was, sleeping peacefully and minding my own business, when all of a sudden, they all leap on me like a bunch of rabid kittens."

"Willow told us to!" Naomi yelled from the bedroom.

"Yeah, cause you were interrupting our lessons!" Siobhán added.

Buffy looked over at Willow, who was seated on the couch, for a real explanation. Willow shrugged. "She was dreaming, and a room away isn't nearly far enough for me not to be affected."

Buffy grinned knowingly. "Where's Seven?"

"Recharging." Faith answering, pointing a thumb back over her shoulder.

Buffy pushed aside the needs that the confrontation had stirred. No matter, they always made time for the little ones.

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

"So, restricted to quarters, huh?" Faith asked, the tip of her fingernail circling a tightening nipple.

"Um hmm." Buffy hummed, arching slightly. The girls had finally finished their lessons and left to go to Naomi's quarters for dinner.

"Are you excited about your first mission?" Willow asked, joining them.

"Oh, yeah. I would be more excited if I wasn't going with Chakotay." Buffy answered. "Although there is a market place that looks like fun. I'm going to try to go there with Laren before we have to come back."

Buffy gasped suddenly as Faith dipped her head and took her nipple between her teeth, biting down firmly, the sensation right on the edge of pain. Willow took the moment to kiss her belly, licking at the shifting muscles. Buffy couldn't stop her body from shifting restlessly beneath the dual assault. She groaned when Faith took her other nipple between her fingers and squeezed, her grip almost as tight as the nipple clamps that she'd used on Buffy once before in a previous life. "Faith, please."

Faith released both nipples at the same time, and smiled when Buffy groaned again, this time as blood rushed back into them. "I think we need to invest in some new toys, B. What do you think? Some nipple clamps, and maybe one for your clit?"

Buffy whimpered, her mind filled with images. Meanwhile, Willow unfastened the leather pants that Buffy was still wearing and eased them down her hips, licking and nibbling at the flesh as it was revealed. Reaching up, Buffy pulled Faith to her in a desperate kiss even as her other hand buried itself in shimmering red hair.

_'Oh, Goddess.' _Desperately, Buffy shielded the connection between her and Kathryn so that Kathryn could continue working, but the sensations were so intense, that it was hard to concentrate on anything but the sensations crashing through her with the force of a tsunami. _'Oh, Goddess.'_

Willow had finally gotten the pants off of Buffy and draped a tense leg over her shoulder. She kissed the flexing muscles of her inner thighs, cleaning the slick fluids with long strokes of her tongue before sucking on her clit without warning. Buffy broke the kiss with a surprised cry as she unexpectedly climaxed, hard and long. Willow milked the orgasm for all it was worth, thrusting two fingers past the convulsing muscles and relentlessly caressing the sensitive spot high inside as she continued the hard suction. Buffy's second orgasm came hard on the heels of the first one_. 'WILLOW!!!'_

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

In her ready room, Kathryn froze as her mate's pleasure swamped her. T'Pel looked at her silently for a moment, before her brow arched in Vulcan amusement. Kathryn panted for a few moments before finally regaining control. She gave her friend a resigned look. "I love being mated to them, but I tell you, it's hell on the concentration."

"Indeed."

"What about you, my friend?" The captain asked. "How are you settling into your new position?"

"It is a position that your crew has needed for some time." T'Pel answered. "I have also offered to assist your Doctor. I believe that my medical experience is more advanced than that of your pilot."

"Buffy, Willow and Faith have more experience than Tom Paris does, to be honest." Kathryn admitted. "He simply had the background closest to medical, and the spare time, and it was before the Doctor became sentient and before we obtained the Doctor's mobile emitter. Has anyone actually made use of you as a Councilor?"

"Yes, they have." T'Pel sipped her tea. "More than half of you crew and several of the S'Terrans as well."

"That's good." Kathryn sat back in her seat and swallowed a mouthful of coffee. "I know that some of them have been having a rough time. Being turned on by the very people that you protect is not an easy thing. Someone impartial to talk to is just what they needed."

"And what of you, Captain, and your mates? You have all dealt with more than any of the others, and yet you have talked to no one."

"I've come to terms with some things a long time ago, my friend. Others, I never will. I came back to try to change how those things happened and, for better or worse, that's what I plan to do. Your very presence here helps in that regard more than you can possibly know. As for Buffy, Faith and Willow, they deal with things in their own way. They've had to. For the most part, they had only themselves to hold them together, and I doubt that they even know how to open up to an outsider anymore. In Buffy's case, all of her attempts have met with disaster."

"I believe I understand." T'Pel said after Kathryn explained a little more. "Very well, Captain, then I will leave you to your duties. However, I will be available at any time should any of you wish to talk."

Kathryn tried to concentrate on her work for another hour after T'Pel left. Finally, when she sensed the amorous playtime beginning once again, she finally gave up and logged off for the evening. She nodded to Harry Kim, who had relieved Chakotay over an hour ago.

She entered the turbolift just before the doors closed. "Deck Two."

She went to the Mess Hall to grab something to eat, knowing from the sensations that she was still receiving that it was doubtful that she'd get anything before she was pounced on in her quarters. She took her quesadillas and her cafe con leche to an empty table near the back wall, and savored her meal in relative peace. She was joined for a few minutes by Neelix, who chatted with her until she was finished, then took her plate and cup for her.

Dark eyes watched her leave. If their relationship hadn't been so strained as it was, he would have joined her for her meal. Seeing the unconscious, barely noticeable bounce in her step, Chakotay clenched his teeth against a curse. He_ knew_ that she was going back to those interlopers, and it was driving him nuts. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing, content that no one was paying him any mind, as he tried to regain control of his unreasoning anger and growing jealousy. He didn't notice the man sitting behind him, suddenly watching him very closely.

_Buffy's going to have to watch herself around this one,_ Ian thought.


	23. Chapter TwentyThree

Chapter Twenty-Three

***Regeneration cycle incomplete.***

Cerulean blue eyes snapped opened, taking in the erotic sight of the three women tangled in the middle of the big bed. She also sensed that Kathryn was on her way back to their quarters. Licking her lips, she watched as the Prime feasted between her redheaded mate's thighs. Faith was watching them intently as well, but she was on the bed, naked, and caressing herself as she alternated between kissing Willow's breasts and mouth. Seven stepped off the dais of her alcove, considering joining them for a moment before she turned away. She had enjoyed Faith and Willow for the better part of the day, and now she wanted the one she loved above all others.

Kathryn nodded at Laren as she stood in front of the door to her quarters. She had followed Buffy's advice, and taken the opportunity to speak with her when she'd spotted the woman on her way to the turbolift, assuring her that there was no rush in making her decision regarding joining them. It would happen when she was ready, but she did not need to hold herself apart from the _N'endari_ because of it. Laren, in an extremely rare moment of abrupt honesty, admitted that she had been attracted to both Faith and Willow since they had first come aboard. Kathryn had merely smiled and encouraged her to pursue her attraction.

"Believe me, they are equally attracted to you. You are the star of quite a few of their fantasies. It has nothing to do with the mating, and a sexual relationship with them does not mean that you are required to complete the mating. If you do, however, you must be careful. You will feel the desire to mark her. The moment your mind and body accept that desire, both your bodies will prepare for it."

"I'll think about it." Laren said, turning away. "Have a good evening, Captain."

"Oh, I plan to." Kathryn smirked at her as her doors swooshed open and she stepped inside. She heard Laren's low chuckle, just before the door closed and she suddenly found herself pressed back against it by six feet of smooth skin and warm metal. Before she could react, full lips covered hers in a kiss that weakened her knees. Her hands clutched at silk covered hips.

"Mmm, Seven, the bedroom..."

"Is occupied." Seven cut in. "I wish to enjoy you and you alone. It has not been just the two of us since our mating."

"It's only been a few days, my Borg." Kathryn chuckled huskily. She leaned back in Seven's arms to take in the silk nightgown that she was wearing. Her fingers traced over where she knew the implant to be. "I like this."

"Willow replicated it for me to wear as I regenerated." Seven told her as began to unfasten her uniform top. "She claims that the sight of me standing there naked, and looking like 'a frozen goddess' would be too much of a temptation."

Kathryn flushed as the image formed in her mind. "Yes, I'm sure it would be."

By now, Kathryn was bare from the waist up and Seven's hands were amusing themselves with her sensitive breasts. She had one knee between Kathryn's legs, keeping them apart but not putting any pressure on her center, so that she was getting no relief as her body began shifting restlessly. She brushed teasing kissing across her beloved captain's lips, pulling back whenever Kathryn tried to take control, and used her body to keep the older woman virtually pinned to the door.

"Seven..." Kathryn growled, unable to take anymore teasing.

Seven captured her lips once more. Bending her knees slightly, Seven wrapped her hands around Kathryn's thighs, lifted her off her feet and carried her effortlessly over to the couch. She quickly stripped the rest of the uniform off her lover and removed her own gown before settling her body flush against the redhead, gasping as their hardened nipples brushed over each other. Tangling her fingers in silky hair, she tilted Kathryn's head for her kiss as she felt the captain's hands close around her, one at the back of her own head and the other on her lower back, near the swell of her buttocks. Legs curled around her own as her body settled between her mate's thighs. She could feel Kathryn's slick sex on her abdomen, and her gasp became a low moan as Kathryn began to move against her, rubbing herself along her sensitive skin and the hardness of her abdominal implant.

"Kathryn." She panted, kissing her lover fiercely, pushing her body down harder, loving the feel of her love's wetness coating her skin. She felt Kathryn pull the band from her hair, releasing the ponytail Willow had put it in earlier, and run her fingers through it in a massaging motion that the ex-drone felt all the way down her body. She moved her body until their sexes pressed against each other. She had loved the sensations when Kathryn had done it during their mating, and was eager to experience it again. She moved her hips in tight little circles, careful to keep their clits rubbing together, and watched with narrowed eyes as Kathryn's head pressed into the cushions as she pressed her body upwards, seeking firmer contact. She was cataloging her lover's every response until Kathryn suddenly came, her fingers convulsing on Seven's scalp, causing the Borg to whimper and her eyes to close as the prickles of pleasure-pain tingled through her to settle into her throbbing clit. She wrapped her hands around Kathryn's thighs, spreading them further apart as she pressed their bodies together more firmly. She was lost in the sensations as her clit slipped slightly between the lips of Kathryn's sex, and she vaguely wondered if this was what males felt during intercourse. The thought was almost instantly forgotten when Kathryn climaxed again, her sensitive flesh registering the vaguest hint of the fluttering of her inner muscles, and she couldn't stop her body from imploding with a strangled moan.

"Damn, that girl's got moves." Faith whispered to Buffy as they glanced at the two from the bedroom.

Buffy smirked. "Let's leave them alone. Seven needs Kathryn to herself for a while."

Kathryn smiled at their thoughtfulness as she recovered. She could feel Seven's breathing even out and her heartbeat regulate against her chest, and smiled softly. This was _infinitely_ better than her fantasies, she decided. "I love you, my Borg. So very much."

"I love you as well, Kathryn." Seven responded softly, lifting up to bring herself face to face with her captain. "I am glad that we are mates."

"So am I, Seven." Kathryn caressed the optical implant gently. "So am I."

They lay quietly for a few minutes, then Seven placed a gentle kiss on the swell of her mate's breast. "Kathryn, I wish to return to my duty."

"Go ahead." Kathryn responded easily, her fingers toying with silky blonde hair. "You were only relieved so that your body could adapt to the changes, Seven, nothing more. You can return to the lab as soon as you wish."

Kathryn's touch had migrated from her hair to trace the planes and curves of her face. It was gentle, and for some unimaginable reason, it made Seven's heart speed up and her desire stir once again. "Maybe it can wait until tomorrow."

"Well, good." Kathryn grinned as she slid from beneath the blonde. She pulled her mate up to join her. "Then come, my Borg. Let's introduce you to the fun of a hydro shower."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Several quadrants away, two Borg cubes converged on the location of the fight with the starship, and began to follow the fading warp signature. The Queen watched through a vidscreen, dividing her attention between the chase, and the information that she was still processing and analyzing. She was determined to crack the mysteries of this organic and then add her to the perfection of the Collective.

She was, however, not foolish enough to employ a failed maneuver once again. It was obvious that this organic had taught Janeway and her people to defend themselves even more effectively, and if there was one thing she had 'learned' from Captain Janeway, it was when to alter her methods. She began to devise an alternative plan, to capture either the crew, or the Captain herself, and force the compliance of the defiant organic. Janeway seemed to garner an impressive amount of loyalty from those she helped.

Although she had not bothered to have any of the drones interface with ship, it was quickly obvious that she should have. From the shields to the weapons, it seemed as if the _Intrepid_-class starship had recently undergone massive upgrading. The fighting technique of those new inhabitants was unique, and she did not understand why the drone's shielding had not been adequate. It had been odd to come against a species that fought with such archaic weaponry. Usually, the Borg considered such inferior species unsuitable for assimilation. At the moment, however, they were irrelevant to her goals. Instead, she focused on varying scenarios to get the organic that she was determined to acquire.

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Laren was drinking in Sandrines when B'Elanna tracked her down. The half-Klingon sat down, grinning. "So, how did Tolger react to bunking with Virgil?"

Laren smirked back. "No clue, but I imagine that Virgil is making her life hell. Especially since he will naturally assume that he's prettier than she is, and will have no problem telling her."

B'Elanna laughed, drawing a little attention at the sudden loud sound. "So, where have you been hiding?"

"Some personal issues to deal with." Laren said simply. She had already decided that she wasn't going to tell anyone about possibly mating with the _N'Endari_. The Delaney twins were well aware of her privacy needs, so she wasn't worried that they would talk to anyone about it, and the other S'Terrans kept such things very close to the chest.

"I heard that you're babysitting Buffy and Chakotay down on the planet."

Now, Laren's audibly sighed and rolled her eyes. "I don't know how those two are going to get along. Chakotay is jealous, and Buffy can't relax around him as long as he's being so aggressive towards her and her mates."

"What's up with that, anyway?" B'Elanna asked. "Chakotay has never struck me as the jealous type before, but then the captain hooked up with Buffy and the others, and suddenly, he's all irrational and controlling. He's usually the mediator, not the instigator. He's reacting to Buffy worse than he did to Seven when she first came aboard."

"I think he was holding out for the captain. You remember when they were trapped on that planet, I think something almost happened between them, but then we got the cure from the Viidians. You know how the captain felt about getting involved with the crew. Now, she's in a committed relationship with not one, but four women, and there was always something between her and Seven. I mean, I know there's a pool about them, but she never did anything about it because of her 'no fraternization' rules, but the chemistry between the captain and Buffy was so strong, you'd have to be blind, deaf, dumb _and_ isolated in a dark pit to miss it."

"Ain't _that_ the truth." B'Elanna looked thoughtful as she took a swallow of her drink. "You think it's because she's involved, or because they're women?"

Laren looked at her curiously. "He's never had a problem with same-sex relationships before. He stood up for us more than once."

"Yes, but he's never been turned down and had his love interest get involved with a woman instead, either." B'Elanna drank the rest of her beer. "And not just one, but four women, at that. None of whom actually accept that he has any true authority over them. I know guys. They have no problems with girl-on-girl action, as long as it doesn't directly affect them."

"Well, he needs to get over it." Laren said bluntly. "He was needed as First Officer when the crews were first integrated because the Maquis needed someone that they trusted in a command position, but Janeway has more than proved herself. Majority of the Maquis will follow Janeway willingly now, and she knows it. And I doubt she'll choose him over her mates if he pushes the issue too far."


	24. Chapter TwentyFour

Chapter Twenty-Four

_*Bridge to the Captain.* _A voice piped over the comm.

Kathryn's eyes blinked open. She heard Buffy mutter in irritation from where she was spooned behind her.

"What is it, Mr. Ayala?"

_*I'm sorry to wake you, Captain, but we're picking up a ship on sensors. It's on a heading directly for the planet.*_

"Have you notified Commander Chakotay?"

_*There is a privacy seal on his communicator, ma'am. The ship isn't moving on an attack vector, nor are the weapons powered up, so it doesn't constitute as an emergency. I wouldn't have contacted you, but we also picked up a communication signal from the ship to the planet.*_

Now Kathryn's curiosity was piqued. Had this pre-warp civilization already had First Contact?

Intellectually, she knew that not all of the myriad warp-capable species followed the Prime Directive like the Federation did, but she'd never actually seen such a situation before. She maneuvered herself out of the pile of bodies and, with an affectionate glance at Seven, who had returned to her alcove to complete her regeneration cycle, she went to the ensuite to quickly clean up and dress. Less than ten minutes later, she walked onto the bridge.

"Report." She demanded.

"There's not much to report, Captain." Ayala said a little apologetically as he switched over to the First Officer's seat. "Although someone down there did send a response back to the ship."

Kathryn sat in her command chair and thought for a moment. "Hail that ship. Let's see if we can get _some_ information."

"Aye, Captain." An ensign answered behind her. A moment later, she spoke again. "Channel open."

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager." She introduced as a strangely dress man with purple skin appeared on the view-screen, but was interrupted before she could get any further.

"Ahh, Captain Janeway, I have listened to good things about you, yes." He bubbled enthusiastically. "I am honored to meet you, yes. Very honored."

Kathryn couldn't help but smile. "I don't believe we've met."

"No, no, please to be forgiven, yes?" The man waved not two, but four hands. It took all of her training to keep her expression neutral, although she heard several faint sounds of surprise behind her. "I am being Trixx. Alliance with Nezu, yes. You have helped, yes. Nezu tell all good things of Captain Janeway and ship."

_Well, that explains how they heard of us,_ Kathryn thought, thinking of the planet that they had tried to help protect from what they had thought was a natural disaster, but what had turned out to be a pre-invasion attack.

"How have the Nezu fared?" Kathryn asked.

"Prospering freely, yes." Trixx's head bobbed happily.

"Trixx, can you tell us of the people below. We wish to trade."

"Oh, ho, trading is good, yes." He grinned widely. "Trixx happy to be telling all."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Kathryn sat in her ready room, sipping her coffee, as she considered all that she had been told. The Yellini were an advanced civilization. So much so that some of their people had migrated to this planet, far away from their homeworld, for a simpler life. However, they did share their expertise and facilitated trade with those that found them by building components if provided with adequate specs.

Another revelation had been that the Yellini were aware of Voyager's presence. Trixx had come specifically because the Yellini had requested it, since he was the closest, to investigate the orbiting starship. Trixx would have contacted Voyager himself if Janeway had not beaten him to the punch. The Yellini had also been aware of the away team's presence, but since there had been no aggressive actions, they had been content to let it play out until the intruders could be checked out by their ally.

As for Trixx, Kathryn suspected that his overly jovial nature hid a lethally cunning mind. Although she answered his questions readily enough, she was completely aware of just how much information he could have gained with his seemingly innocuous questions from someone less familiar with subtle interrogation. She, however, was very familiar with the tactics, and still managed to keep the relevant information to herself while appearing to answer all of his questions with complete openness. About halfway through the conversation, she could see the acknowledgment in his eyes and, when he finally signed off, he dipped his head so slightly that she almost missed it, a figurative tipping of the hat.

This new information changed things regarding the upcoming first contact mission. She picked up the PADD that Chakotay had turned in, of his plans regarding the mission. It would have to be revised since they no longer needed to hide their advanced technology. In fact, from what Trixx insinuated, the Yellini were probably more advanced than they were.

She set down the PADD as she prepared her own preliminary report, deciding that she might as well start her duty shift, began her daily official Captain's log. As she concluded it, the stardate niggled in her mind. Setting back in her chair, she tried to think back. What about this stardate could be so special that she would mark it on her mental calendar? It took her a few minutes, but she finally shook it loose. A memorial anniversary was coming up. In a few days, she and her crew would have stumbled across a distress signal from Captain Rudolph Ransom of the Federation Starship _Equinox_. Her counterpart had been brought to the Delta Quadrant before them by the Caretaker, and had faced a few hardships too many for his meager crew. He had sacrificed everything he had stood for, trying to get his people home, by sacrificing the lives of subspace alien lifeforms to enhance his warp drive, discovering that their cells contained nucleogenic energy even after death when they accidentally killed the one they had captured. Although she still did not condone his actions, nor had she ever stooped so low herself, she had come to understand his mindset as time went on and they continued to find more enemies than friends, and less opportunities to stop, regroup and repair her beloved ship. As she continued to remember, it was about now that her relationship with Chakotay really began to suffer.

She knew that she was going to go after him again. She could not allow a Starfleet Captain to commit such senseless murder, no matter the advantages, anymore than she could the last time. This time, however, she had telepaths on board to 'discover' what they were doing, instead of coming up with a convincing story so that it would not play out like it had then. She had less than two days to come up with a viable plan. If she planned well, then both operations could be done at virtually the same time, and Voyager could meet back up with the shuttles somewhere in the middle.

Running through viable plans in her head, she tapped her comm badge. "Tuvok, will you please join me in my ready room?"

_*On my way, Captain.*_

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

"Hello, Faith."

"Laren." The brunette glanced at the Bajoran security officer for a quick moment then downed the rest of her beer.

Laren saw a glimmer of pain in the Alpha's eyes before it was quickly shuttered, and felt a pang of remorse. It had been some time since she had voluntarily remained in the same room with the S'Terran, much less actively sought her out. She knew that the Delaneys would be furious with her if they didn't already know her reasons. "We need to talk."

Faith nodded, but didn't move.

"Perhaps we can go somewhere else?" Laren suggested, glancing around the simulated nightclub.

The Alpha was already shaking her head. "I don't think so. Last thing we need to be, is alone. I might not be jonesing as bad as B was, but I still feel the need."

Laren nodded and sat down. "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you, but I needed some time to think things through."

"I get ya." Faith acknowledged. "Kinda took ya by surprise."

Laren sighed, for some reason immensely glad that the other woman wasn't too upset.

"But that didn't mean that you had to shut everyone else out, too, ya know." Faith continued. "We liked hanging out with you, and we all miss you at the training sessions."

"I'm sorry." Laren said.

"No worries." Faith shrugged. Suddenly she flashed an impossibly sexy grin, dimples and all. "Wanna dance?"

"Sure," Laren laughed, relief at being offered such an olive branch warring pleasantly with the awareness of the temptation Faith was presenting her. "Why not."


	25. Chapter TwentyFive

Chapter Twenty-Five

B'Elanna ducked as a heavy staff swung over her head. Twisting her body, she barely avoided another staff from the side. She grinned as she blocked one staff with her own, and kicked the first swinger in the side, enjoying the heat of battle that thrilled in her blood. She kept moving, not giving either of her opponents time to recover. She knew that Buffy was watching, dissecting and evaluating her performance, but she also knew that her team leader was pleased with her progress. From the beginning, Buffy had worked on her endurance and stamina. Pacing her through the younger S'Terrans in hand to hand combat, not letting her move on until she could defeat her current trainer.

When she got to the point where she could at least hold her own against the more thoroughly trained, battle-tested older S'Terrans, Buffy added weapons to her training. She learned to fight with everything from stilettos that could be easily hidden in the sleeve, to heavy double-bladed axes. Buffy told her that the odds of her using the heavy weapon were extremely slim, but when you're in a situation where you're seriously outnumbered, there's really no such things as too much training.

At the moment, she was running through a test similar to a gauntlet. If she lasted through the end without a 'fatal wound', then she would have progressed enough to train with Buffy, Faith, Danae and Ororo. She knew that both Seven and Laren had already gone through and passed similar tests, but acknowledged that the Bajoran had vastly more experience in fighting for her life, and there was very little that Seven of Nine could not defeat if she really put effort into it.

At the moment, she was fighting alongside Jakea, the Trill from Faith's team, against a variety of holographic foes with the safeties at minimum. They had to protect themselves and each other through three brutal levels devised by Faith and implemented by Willow. The Doctor had been warned that they would be coming in later with possibly severe wounds. If either of them were 'fatally wounded', the gauntlet would end immediately, and they would have to wait until Buffy decided that they were prepared to try again.

B'Elanna dropped to her knees in relief as the second level ended. They immediately took the opportunity to bandage their wounds. The first level, they had to fight with more conventional weapons, phasers and even old fashioned guns, which Buffy said couldn't be disabled and were usually effective against most energy shielding. The second, while the weapons were more archaic, the kind that the S'Terrans preferred, also consisted of fighting larger, stronger opponents, often two or three at a time. The last level, B'Elanna and her teammate had been warned, would be the hardest. They would be given an artifact that they had to protect, and they had to reach an unspecified location. They had to start the level with no weapons, using their fists and their wits, in a scenario where every being they encountered would be trying to kill them.

They had been allowed to watch the videos of the others' tests. Michael had gone through with Raktoth, Laren with Willow and Seven with Timal. She thought that the ritual she'd gone through for the Day of Honor had been tough. This thing was worse than a Klingon Rite of Passage.

Then, her weapons vanished and the scene altered, signaling the end of their two-minute break.

A few hours later, B'Elanna and Jakea nearly collapsed in exhaustion as the holodeck returned to its neutral state. They were finished. More importantly, they were successful. They stumbled over to the exit and, the moment they walked out the door, were instantly transported to Sickbay.

To B'Elanna's surprise, the Doctor didn't make any caustic comments about their state. Usually he didn't hesitate to ream them about the needless work of patching up wounds gained unnecessarily in holodeck simulations. She was staring at him in shock when Buffy came in.

"You guys did good in there." The Prime stated with a smile. "Your advanced training will began a week after this away mission. Give you a chance to relax."

B'Elanna smiled back tiredly. "I don't know whether to be glad or depressed about that." She admitted. "Training with the young ones was brutal, and I've seen your training sessions with Laren. You guys are just plain vicious. By the way, what did you do to the Doctor? Usually, he can't wait to read us the riot act."

"Faith and I told him a few simple home truths that we learned." Buffy told her. "We learned through trial and error that all the training in the world isn't always good enough when you're suddenly thrust in a life or death situation without practical experience. It's ultimately better that you take your lumps and figure out what you're capable of, in an extreme situation that's controlled. We throw so much at you to overwhelm your conscious mind and make you forget that there's someone on the other side that can make it all stop. It forces your instincts into survival mode, and _that's_ where we learn just how much of your training has actually sunk in."

Buffy left the half-Klingon alone to think about that as she moved over to speak with Jakea before the Trill fell asleep. B'Elanna half-listened to the Prime talk, allowing the sound to become a background buzz as she drifted off.

Buffy glanced over to the half-Klingon as her breathing evened out into sleep and told Jakea that she should also rest. She nodded to the Doctor before leaving. Taking the 'scenic' route back to her quarters, since she was still confined there, she stopped in Astrometrics. Seven and Kathryn had already been awake and gone when she'd gotten up this morning to prepare for exercise, and she wanted to see her mate.

She nodded to Celes as she stepped up to her Borg mate and wrapped her arms around her. "Good morning, _mina ain_. We missed you two this morning."

Unmindful of Celes, who had become accustomed to such displays by now, Seven turned around in Buffy's arms. "Kathryn wished to go for a walk in the Esplanade before our shifts." She said in an almost childlike wonder. "She said that it was a ritual of dating, and she wished for me to experience it."

Buffy thought about that for a minute, then cocked her head. "That's right, you've never had the pleasure of dating, have you?" Seven shook her head. "Well, we're gonna have to rectify that."

"What will we do?" Seven asked, curious.

"Ah, ah, ah." Buffy kissed her softly. "One of the fun things about dating is the occasional spontaneity. You'll just have to wait and see."

A small smile curled the taller blonde's lips. "Very well. I will comply."

Buffy grinned. She raised up to flick her tongue quickly on the skin and metal of her jaw implant, eyes twinkling mischievously at the resulting shiver, and pulled away. "Have a good day. Bye, Celes."

Her next stop was Deck 17, where she was immediately jumped on by a miniature tornado the moment the turbolift doors opened. "Hey, kiddo. What's this?"

"Hi, Buffy." Mari giggled as Buffy's fingers twitched along sensitive ribs covered only in the thin material of a bathing suit. The little girl slapped at her hands. "Erin is taking us swimming in the lake, and _Tio _Mike helped Naomi and Siobhán make a raft like the one that they used to have at their old home."

"That sounds like fun." Buffy responded as she talked down the corridor to Willow's lab. "Wish I could come with."

"Why did you get in trouble?" Mari asked. "You didn't do anything wrong. She's a bad lady."

"That's true, but she's still family, and we're not supposed to fight with family. Now, go on back to Erin. I have to talk to Will."

After sending Mari off, she entered the lab to find Willow laying on a couch studying a PADD. Buffy looked around the room. It was no longer a holographic lab. Obviously, Willow and Voyager had used her holographic room as a blueprint, and the ships basic office structure to create a real work area for the genius. There were three work consoles in the room. One for Willow, one for whichever of the other Science people working with Willow at any given time, and a smaller one for Siobhán who, a young genius herself, had flashes of brilliance that occasionally led to her own experiments.

"Hey, Will, whatcha doing?" Buffy asked.

"Hey, Buffy." Willow glanced up distractedly. "That Trixx guy that Kathryn talked to sent of a small manifest of the type of stuff that the Yellini dealt in. I'm taking a closer look at something that they've created to stabilize micro-wormholes. Voyager uses them to transmit back to Earth, and it would be something that Kathryn would be really interested in acquiring."

"Oh?" Buffy grinned. She leaned over the back of the couch and ran teasing fingers up the length of her mate's legs, content to listen to her talk for a few minutes. Finally, she interrupted the redhead. After explaining what she wanted to do for the night with Seven, since Kathryn would be working ridiculously late, again, Willow promised to keep Faith sufficiently occupied. They also made tentative plans to go to the nightclub, which Faith had named _Carpe Nocturnum_ after a club where she had taken a temporary job as Bouncer, after Buffy's restriction was over.

Kissing Willow, she left the redhead to her work and made her way to her last stop before returning to her quarters. She stepped onto the turbolift. "Bridge."

When the doors opened, her thoughts flashed back to the fight with the Borg, and she had a sudden idea. A quick glanced showed that neither Kathryn nor Tuvok was on the bridge, and she made her way to the Ready Room, returning the greetings of those who spoke and nodded to the First Officer. After her last conversation with Kathryn regarding the irritating man, Buffy decided that, until he did something where she'd have to retaliate, she'd let the rudeness and antagonism be obvious just from his side. She'd be as polite to him as she could under the circumstances.

The door opened a moment after she pressed the chime, requesting entrance. "Good morning, _N'mina_, Tuvok_._"

"Hello, beloved." Kathryn smiled at her. Tuvok nodded his greeting. "What can I do for you?"

"Just came to let you know that B'Elanna and Jakea have passed the final exercise. I've told them that they will begin their advanced training a week after the away mission. I'm going to start B'Elanna on her Batleth, and take her through the basics and what you've taught me, but after that, you'll have to take over."

Kathryn nodded. "All right. Just let me know when you think she's ready."

"Why don't you guys put up shields around your stations?" Buffy suddenly switched topics. "I mean, those Borg transported right onto the bridge, and I've read that others have too, so why don't you take measures to protect yourselves?"

"We do not have the technology for personal shielding." Tuvok said, but Buffy was already shaking her head.

"That's not what I mean, cause the consoles have to be protected too, right?" Buffy explained. "I've seen those things you use to set up portable force fields. Can't you modify something like those to surround the entire work area where the main console of each station is, including your chairs. Something like in an arc form."

The Starfleet officers sat back as they considered this idea. It was a different angle of an idea that had been presented before.

"Interesting." Tuvok remarked. "I will look into the possibility."

They talked for about a few more things before Buffy finally took her leave.

_'Since you're gonna be cooped up in here super late, I'm making dinner for Seven and myself, and then I'm gonna teach her to slow dance.'_ Buffy sent along their bond as she left. _'She told me about your date this morning, and I figure that we could keep up with other 'dating rituals'. Willow and Faith are gonna be otherwise occupied, but we are all getting together on your next day off to go dancing.'_

_'Have fun.'_ Kathryn replied with a mental 'kiss', before returning her focus to ship's business.


	26. Chapter TwentySix

Chapter Twenty-Six

For the first time in more years than she could remember, Ro Laren felt a sense of contentment in her life. After finally making peace with Faith, she found herself sliding back into her position in the lives of the N'Endari with amazing ease. She realized then that Faith and Buffy, if no one else, understood the need to sometimes distance herself from everyone when she felt her control over her life being threatened.

She glanced over at Buffy, B'Elanna and Megan Delaney, only half listening as Buffy described to the half Klingon the date she'd had with Seven. She'd already heard the story from Willow, who had positively gushed over how romantic Buffy had made it (much to both her and Faith's amusement). She was only listening now because she had missed about half of it during last time. They had been in Laren's quarters at the time, which didn't really have much in the way of furniture, and the redhead had perched herself in her lap during her recounting. The feel of her lush body bouncing and wiggling in excitement had done nothing for Laren's resolve. Laren knew that the excitable redhead wasn't trying to be difficult. That's just the way she was. Very tactile. Still, it had taken most of her concentration not to run her hands over those soft curves right there in her reach, but she was determined to be sure of what she wanted before she started anything with anyone.

"So, the Three Musketeers were her escorts." Buffy told B'Elanna, referring to the three children who were almost never apart from each other. "They took her down to her old room where I had left her dress, then they took her to Jen, who fixed up her hair, and after that, they escorted her to our quarters."

"Ohh, yeah." B'Elanna chortled. "I heard about that. Word spread all over the ship faster than a plasma fire. Damn, I wish I could have seen it. Carey said that he didn't think she could look any hotter than she did in the biosuits, but that outfit had him contemplating cheating on his wife."

"I've got pictures." Megan admitted. "I'll show them to you when we get back."

As Buffy went on to describe that night, Laren spared a thought to their commanding officer, who was currently in the back of the shuttle with Mike and Ayala, doing whatever it was that men did when *bonding*. She hadn't been kidding when she'd told B'Elanna that he needed to get over himself. The crew loved the S'Terrans, and they loved the more approachable captain that Janeway had become because of her relationship with them.

She looked at the sensors to make sure that the other shuttle was still behind them. The second shuttle was carrying the equipment and the rest of B'Elanna's mining team. Because of the positive reception by the Yellini, Captain Janeway had decided to only send Mike and Ensign Ayala for security instead of sending Faith's entire team. They would be mining the dilithium while Buffy and Laren escorted Chakotay to the deceptively primitive settlement of the Yellini. It turned out that the Yellini also used the dilithium ore found in the mountains, and one of their items that Janeway was adamant about obtaining was a specially designed containment unit for the ore. The units used dimensional compression similar to what was used in the S'Terran's coats. Buffy was also under strict orders from both of her redheads to ask the Yellini to look at her coat, and see if it can be more easily reproduced.

She glanced back at her friends. "Can one of you let the Commander know that we're approaching the planet."

"Sure." Megan Delaney smiled at her.

"Hey, Buffy, what are the odds that she'll walk into the same situation that Seven did?" B'Elanna grinned.

Buffy smirked at her. "I dated Mike for a bit in our old life. Trust me, Chakotay couldn't handle him."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

_'Did you find it, Willow?'_

_'We found it.'_ The captain could hear the exultation in her voice. _'It took me, Seven, Celes and Voyager herself to figure out how to extend the sensors enough, and still, we just barely picked it up. We told Celes that we were testing the limits of Voyager's new capabilities.'_

_'Inform Tuvok of the situation.'_ Kathryn told her mate. _'Tell him all of it. He will understand.'_

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her Security Chief tilt his head slightly as Willow made contact. After a few minutes, he nodded almost imperceptibly and his fingers began to flicker over his console. "Captain, Astrometics has picked up a Federation signal."

Kathryn played along, and managed to call up a surprised look. "Federation?"

"Yes, Captain."

"What does it say?"

"Unknown at this time." Tuvok reported. "Astrometics barely picked it up while testing the limits of Voyager's new sensor capabilities."

"Send a message to the shuttles and let them know the situation." Kathryn ordered. "Mr. Paris, turn us around. As soon as we determine the location of the signal, we can settle on a rendezvous location."

"Yes, Captain." The sandy-haired man complied.

"Tuvok, I'm going down to Astrometrics." Kathryn said, rising from her chair. "You have the bridge."

"Aye, Captain." He said.

When she walked into the Astrometics lab a few minutes later, she found Willow and Seven looking at the main display as Celes worked at her console. "What do we have?"

Seven turned to her and stood with her hands behind her back. "From what we have been able to ascertain, the signal is coming from a Federation vessel. It is in the direct path that we were previously on before we were forced to detour because of the Borg Queen. We would have picked it up if we had returned to it."

Kathryn looked at the starmap. Seven had highlighted both the previous path that they had been on and the one that they were on now. She could see where the paths would reunite. She made a mental note of the sector before returning her attention to the current situation. She turned to the other scientist. "Ensign Tal, can you give us a few minutes, please."

"Of course, Captain." Celes nodded briefly, then smiled at Willow and left the lab.

"We were here when we ran into them the before." Kathryn said, keying in the coordinates to show up on the map. "It took two days for the attacks to weaken our shields enough for the lifeforms to get through."

"What do you want to do, Kathryn?" Willow asked.

"This will be mostly up to you and the other telepaths." The captain told her. "I want to see if one of you can contact the lifeforms that Ransome is killing, and perhaps keep them from attacking us while we try to resolve this. If you do manage contact, they will be extremely hostile, so you should probably keep Marisol close to you so that you can shield her. I also want you to 'bump' into one of the crew that comes one board, enough to get the information that we need without revealing ourselves too soon. Ransome would be preferable, but any of the others will do, since pretty much all of them who initially came about were in on it."

She paused for a moment as she remembered something else. "Voyager, my ship?"

**"Yes, Captain?"**

"They will try to hack into your systems. You must keep a very close watch for any foreign commands."

**"I will, Captain."**

As soon as Seven plotted a possible intercept trajectory, Kathryn selected a spot on the map for the shuttles to rendezvous. A nice little M-Class planet that would also be ideal for shore leave. The crew hadn't had once since just after finding the S'Terrans and, even though the usual troubles hadn't been too bad, they were definitely due one. Kathryn had made a promise to herself to make sure she allowed them more shore leave more often this time around. She had spoken at length about it during the senior staff meetings, and everyone agreed. They shouldn't go more than six months, max, without at least a few days shore leave if a suitable planet was in the vicinity of their location.

"How long before we're in hailing range?" Kathryn asked.

"At our present speed, 6 hours." Seven answered. "As we move closer, I will be able to 'clean up' the transmission."

"I want scans run as soon as we come in range. I don't want any surprises in this altered reality." Kathryn said, kissing them both before leaving them to return to the bridge. "Keep me informed."

It was another hour and a half before Seven hailed the bridge to inform them that they were close enough to hear the transmission.

_'...This is Captain Rudolph __Ransome__ of the Federation Starship Equinox...'_

It was the distress call that Kathryn remembered, and she could see her crew react just as they had the first time. Excitement at the presence of the other Starfleet crew. If nothing else, she hated that she was going to have to disillusion them to their sister ship. She took a breath and glanced back at Tuvok. He gave her a quick nod.

"Set a course, Mr. Paris." She ordered her helmsman. "Warp 8."

"Yes, ma'am!" Tom said.


	27. Chapter TwentySeven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kathryn was careful to keep her thoughts from her face as she listened to the entire distress call with the rest of the bridge crew. She tuned it out, not really wanting to hear his voice again. The man had disgraced everything that they, as Starfleet Officers, had believed in and, even though she eventually come to understand how he could have done such a thing, she had never forgiven him for opening her eyes to the fact that even they, Starfleet captains, were capable of sinking so low. She didn't really want to have to deal with confining her fellow captain to the brig for the duration of the trip, but she would if she had too. If nothing else, Voyager was now better equipped to help her sister ship. Maybe she could get them to give up this horrible path that they had chosen if they knew that they were no longer alone and she could help him repair his ship and give his crew a much needed rest.

_'Kathryn, could you come down here, please?'_ Willow suddenly asked.

_'Of course.'_ Kathryn responded, already turning to her security chief. "Tuvok, you have the bridge. I'll be down in Astrometrics."

"Aye, Captain." The Vulcan said as he stepped away from his post. He stepped down to the command level as Kathryn made her way to up to the turbolift.

"What's wrong?" The captain asked as she stepped into the room a few minutes later. The first thing that she noticed was that Tal Celes was not there.

"There's something off about this ship we're going to rescue." Willow stated, glancing up from the console that she was working on. "They've got this distress signal on, but I'm not sensing any distress."

"Would you be able to sense that from so far away?" Kathryn asked.

"I'm getting a few things, but intense emotions, like fear or stress, project further, especially if it's intense enough to need desperate help like this distress signal is indicating. So if I'm receiving even the tiny snippets of these 'calmer' emotions, then I should have felt those others first."

"There is also a strange signature in their ion trail." Seven finally spoke up. "There have been foreign elements added to their warp drive."

Kathryn stepped up next to her mates to look at the console herself. "These aren't the signatures that we got the last time. In fact, we couldn't even tell that they were using the creatures to enhance their warp drives. So, what is this?"

"Is it possible that we can now tell the difference because of the improvements made to Voyager's sensors?" Willow asked.

"Something like this would have shown up even on regular sensors." Kathryn shook her head slightly. "It's almost as if their warp core is contaminated with something. Seven, I want you to study this, and try to figure out what could cause this reading."

"What are you thinking, Kathryn?" Willow looked up at her.

"Dawn's note said that The First manipulated things here. What if this is one of those things? Now, I'm glad that I decided to wait until we were in a more 'normal' range before responding to the hail. We need to find out exactly what were dealing with."

Seven stepped behind Kathryn and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman's hips. "Are you all right, Kathryn?"

The captain leaned back into the comforting embrace of her mate. "I don't know, Seven." She admitted softly. "I don't want to have chased them down for one thing, only to find out that they've done something worse in this new version of my reality than they did in the other."

"Do you wish for me to 'lose' the transmission and the sensor lock?" Seven offered.

Kathryn sighed, but shook her head. "No. We can't do that. No matter what he's gotten into, if it endangers sentient life, he needs to be stopped."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

The two shuttles landed at the agreed upon rendezvous point, some ways from the city. They were met by an escort of sorts, with transportation so that they wouldn't have to walk. It was a simple set-up. Two 'vehicles', looking like ancient covered chariots, pulled by large beasts that reminded Buffy of giant llamas.

"Those things don't spit, do they?" Buffy asked, wrinkling her nose.

Megan laughed and bumped her with her hips. A playful gesture that was not lost on Chakotay, who had glanced back at her with a gesture of admonishment. Buffy rolled her eyes at the back of his head when he turned around with a faint sound of disapproval. Buffy climbed into the chariot next to Megan, while Laren and Chakotay climbed into the one in front of them.

The ride to the city was a pleasant one. Like any good tourist, Buffy peppered their driver, Jorva, with question after question about the city, the culture and the planet itself. The driver answered every question with a patient smile. Since apprenticeship was a part of their culture, the Yellini were accustomed to the many questions of the young.

"Do you have any fighting techniques?" Buffy asked, practically bouncing in her seat. "Oh, oh, what about meditation?

"We do." Jorva smiled. "We may be a peaceful race, but we are not oblivious or ignorant of the dangers of the universe. We have several forms of martial arts."

"Do you think someone could possibly show me some while we're here?" Buffy asked him excitedly. "I learn quickly."

"Are you a warrior?" Jorva asked a question of his own.

Buffy nodded. "Most of my people are. The ones who aren't are still trained, no matter where their skills take them."

He looked from her to Megan. "Your peoples are not the same peoples?"

"Not really." Buffy considered how she could explain adequately. "It's complicated." She thought for a moment. "Our races are related, enough to be compatible, but there are genetic differences that make my people unique."

"You are Leader?"

"Of my people, yes." Buffy nodded. "Of Voyager as a whole, then no."

Jorva considered this, then asked, "He is Leader, then? Notice strife amongst you."

Megan grabbed her arm quickly to silence any smart remark she might have made and answered the question herself. "He is second to the Leader. The, ahh, 'strife' you noticed between them is of a personal nature, not a professional one."

The driver nodded in understanding. After that, they talked about more mundane subjects for the remainder of the journey. By the time they reached the city, Buffy and Megan had been invited to the driver's home for mid-day meal.

"We'll have to check with the rest of our party." Megan answered for them. "If the Commander says that it is all right, we'd be honored."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Kathryn's thoughts were heavy as she returned to the bridge. She left Tuvok in command and retreated to her ready room as the considered the ramifications of what they were about to embark on. She had given some thought to the message that Dawn had left her, and the situations that she could possibly be facing with the enemies that she had attained in her previous voyage, but this was not how she'd anticipated it to begin. She realized now, however, that she should have. This is been, by far, the hardest battle that she'd had to face out here. Going head to head with a fellow Starfleet Captain. It would be perfect type of revenge for the First.

"Damn it, Dawn." Kathryn muttered. "You could have warned me."

It had haunted her for a long time after Ransome's defeat and death. Not just because of Chakotay's increasing insubordination from that day forward, but because of her own forced acceptance of just how human Captains could be under the right, or should she say wrong, circumstances. Nightmares of her own downfall had kept her on the straight and narrow for years afterward, and then, when the idea became more and more appealing as their journey because increasingly hard, the thought of possibly disillusioning yet another Captain that might be out there somewhere drove the idea back into the dark recesses that they had come from.

_'Kathryn, I'm going to grab a couple of the others and see if I can't find out what's really going on in that ship.'_ Willow told her. _'Seven's going to keep working from this end.'_

_'Keep me informed.'_ Kathryn responded. Having known several Betazoids, she had a general idea of what Willow would be attempting.

For a brief moment, she wondered if the S'Terrans would have been able to help Crewman Suder before they'd lost him. Willow could have better helped him with his control, or at least loosely monitored him so that they were aware before he succumbed to his violent impulses, and Buffy and Faith would have given him a necessary outlet that they themselves sometimes needed.


	28. Chapter TwentyEight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

When the time came, Buffy wisely let Megan do the talking and, when they broke for lunch, the two were strolling though the settlement-like town towards the shop that Jorva had pointed out to them earlier.

"Goddess, Jorva, these are _gorgeous_!" Buffy exclaimed, examining his wares.

"What you hold are bonding cuffs." Jorva told Buffy. "Yellini bond eternally, in mind, body and spirit. Cuffs match resonances of bonded." He lifted the sleeve of his tunic to show his own bonding cuff. "Once placed, cannot remove."

Buffy continued to admire the cuff, but now she had a thoughtful expression on her face. "What if the person has more than one bonded?"

"Then special cuffs are made." Jorva told her. He stepped up next to her as she ran her fingers along the intricate design. "You would like?"

"Yes," Buffy smiled up at him, "I think I would."

Megan looked at the cuff in her hands. It was opaque with a golden tint, and so intricately designed that she couldn't follow the lines. Buffy was right though. It was absolutely beautiful.

Jorva continued to smile as he watched them fawn over the cuffs, seemingly pleased with whatever he saw in their eyes. "Not all see beauty. Only when mind and soul open, can you see. Hard of heart, closed of mind, their eyes pass over without notice."

Buffy nodded in understanding. "Most of my people only bond with one mate, two at the most. I have several, but one that is above all others."

It was Jorva that nodded in understanding this time. While Buffy was focused on the cuff she was intently examining, Jorva placed a circlet on her head. "This is to acquire your resonance. I will set your cuff, then prepare others that will be for your mates. They will have some of your resonance, and when they are placed, you will feel as your cuff tunes to your mate's. Now come, meal is ready."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

***Seven of Nine to Captain Janeway, I believe that I have ascertained the nature of the anomaly in the Equinox's warp signature.*** Seven informed her captain an hour later.

"Come up to my ready room. I want Tuvok to hear as well." Kathryn responded. She was already in her ready room, working on reports. She had already recorded both her Captain's Log and her Personal Log. Until now, she had successfully pushed Ransome and the Equinox from her mind, knowing that if she thought about it too long, she would not be able to relive the situation objectively. She had no idea what she was flying into, but if there was even the remotest of chances that they had made different choices in this new timeline, she didn't want to jinx it with 'past' grudges. Sighing, she pressed her comm badge once more. "Janeway to Tuvok, please join us in my ready room once Seven arrives."

***Acknowledged.***

A few minutes later, the chime rang and Kathryn invited her officers in. She stood and moved around her desk to accommodate their preference for standing, and patiently waited for Seven's report.

"The anomaly in the ion trail is caused by modified dilithium crystals in the warp drive." Seven began. "Species 672, the Lazarians, developed a way to reconfigure power distribution to augment their weapons systems from their warp core. Modified dilithium, recrystallized with a tritum isotope, allowed their primary phasers to increase their damage potential by 65%."

Tuvok looked intrigued. "This is a marked improvement."

Seven nodded. "However, the isotope is unstable, and when introduced to the warp core, creates a gaseous radiation with effects similar to thalaron radiation. Contact with the gas will immediately eat away at any type of living organic."

Kathryn looked horrified. "How could they be running this type of thing and live if it's so deadly?"

"The gas is trapped within the core." Seven informed. "The only danger would be if there was a warp core breach, similar to the dangers of a plasma leak. However, the smallest fracture would be enough to start leaking the radiation. The Lazarians kept their warp core in a specialized chamber. How the crew of the Equinox are prepared to deal with a possible core breach, I cannot speculate."

"Can we adjust our shields to compensate?" Kathryn asked with a slight frown.

"We could boost our shields by cutting power to the decks that are as yet unused." Tuvok suggested. "Does this configuration cause anomalies in other areas?"

"In the Lazarian ships, it caused minor fluctuations in their shields." Seven answered. "I can not say if the same anomaly occurs on the Equinox, or if they somehow discovered a way to compensate."

"Do what you can." Kathryn told them. "I want the modifications in place before we intercept. Dismissed."

~~~ BtVS ~~ ST: Voyager ~~~

Buffy did surprisingly well on her first 'First Contact' mission, even by her standards. There was some uneasiness over the antagonistic way their Commanding Officer regarded her, but it settled as the Voyager crew demonstrated that their personal animosity did not adversely affect their ability to work together to benefit their people. It proved to the Yellini that they could put aside their differences when necessary.

Buffy spoke with the Yellini's version of scientists as Willow had asked. The only form of payment the Yellini requested was information about their peoples and their travels. After Laren assured the trading of information, the Yellini promised to have the items that they requested ready when they were prepared to leave.

Since the talks hadn't taken as long as they'd assumed, Buffy, Megan and Laren got to spend real quality time examining the wares of the marketplace before really getting down to the business of serious shopping.


End file.
